The Beauty of Monterrey

The City of Monterrey in northeastern Mexico is a bustling place cradled in majestic and rugged mountains. It is a location where the past and the present are woven together by the Mexican culture and the Catholic Faith. It possesses a unique beauty.
 
This past week Father Jay Donahue and I had the privilege of visiting Monterrey for the purpose of meeting with the Archbishop, His Excellency Rogelio Cabrena Lopez, to discuss the possibility of forming a close relationship between the Archdiocese of Monterrey and the Diocese of Pittsburgh. While the meeting with Archbishop was a very warm and promising encounter, this very short and busy trip held in store some other profound blessings.
 
The first blessing was a visit to a church that is a site of great importance and profound devotion for the people of Monterrey. It was the Basilica of Our Lady of Roble. The Spanish word roble means “oak”. The Blessed Virgin Mary under this title is the patron of the City and the Archdiocese of Monterey. The basilica is a majestic edifice patterned on three Roman churches, St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Mary in Cosmedin. The central point of attraction in the Basilica is an image of Our Lady about 3 feet tall with a beautifully tender face and hands stretched out to the person before her. Tradition says that it was hidden in that area in a hollow oak tree by Franciscan missionaries in around 1585 due to violent conflicts taking place. Almost a century later in 1650, a young woman tending her sheep caught sight of the image of the Virgin Mary surrounded by a great light and exhibiting a wonderful fragrance at this oak tree. A local priest was summoned, and he carried it to a nearby church. The next day when people went to the church to venerate the image, they did not find it there. It had returned to the oak. This happened several times. Finally, a church was built at the site of the oak. The people of Monterrey became very attached to Our Lady of the Oak and continue to see her outstretched hands as sure help from a mother who loves them unconditionally.
 
The second profound blessing of our trip was going to the Parish of the Nativity of Our Lord, whose pastor, Father Javier, is a close friend of Father Jay. Filled with  wonderful energy and zeal for souls, Father Javier’s charity and kindness to us was outstanding. We went to his parish one evening for the celebration of Holy Mass, a Holy Hour, and Confessions. Before Mass started, Father Javier asked me to bless their Altar of Remembrance (or of the Dead) that is erected for the celebration of All Souls’ Day according to a beautiful Mexican tradition. This devotional altar is topped by a cross. Below the cross is an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, then pictures of saints and blesseds, and finally pictures of friends and relatives who have died. Added to the altar were beautiful flowers and those traditional skulls, reminders of death that comes to all of us. This altar is a testimony to the deep faith of the Mexican people in their destiny in heaven and their belief in their ability to help their beloved dead by prayer, the Mass and their sacrifices. It is a sign of their profound spirituality and love for others.
 
Our trip to Monterrey had an amazing impact on me. It reinforced what I already believed: First, that our culture can be wonderfully enriched by the culture of immigrants. We have seen this happen in our own diocese as waves of immigrants have come here through the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Second, our common Catholic Faith can be a source of unity and a wellspring of mutual moral values. Our unity in diversity can show us that we are all children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ.
 
Our Lady of Roble stands on a crescent moon indicating that she is the Immaculate Conception.  We share her patronage and intercession as Our Lady, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of the United States.  We see how God unites us. We all love the same God and our same Mother Mary, and so, too, we love one another as Jeus has shown us.
 
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh