Photos by Alan M. Dumoff
Father Rene L. Canales of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, Carneys Point, leads worshippers in prayer on Dec. 11 during the parish observance of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe comes from the likeness of Mary that appeared on a cloak worn by a poor Indian, to whom she appeared on a hillside in Mexico in 1531. Her coloring and features resemble those of an indigenous woman, which at the time and since then has been seen as a message of hope and solidarity to the poor. Right, parishioners of St. Gianna Beretta Molla Parish, Northfield, carry a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe in procession Dec. 11.