Thousands of Dallas Catholics gathered downtown Tuesday to celebrate a historic cathedral’s first holiday under its new national shrine status.
The National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, formerly known as the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, was recognized as a national shrine by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in September.
Father Jesus Belmontes, rector of the cathedral, said it’s been emotional to see what was already a treasured site in the Dallas Catholic and Hispanic community recognized on a national level.
“Especially for all those immigrants that they feel, like, orphaned in this country,” Belmontes said. “This is a triumph for them. It is like an oasis where they can feel just refreshed and relieved that they belong here.”
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A shrine is noted in Vatican law as a “sacred place to which numerous members of the faithful make pilgrimage for a special reason of piety, with the approval of the local ordinary.”
Dec. 12 is recognized in Catholicism as a feast day marking what is believed in the religion as the day the Virgin Mary appeared before Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531. She’s said to have appeared to the man in a series of what are known in the faith as Marian apparitions.
A basilica in Mary’s honor was subsequently erected in Mexico City. It displays a cloak with what some believe to be an image of Mary, which is said to have belonged to Diego.
The Dallas cathedral was first dedicated in 1902 as the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, according to the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. In the mid-1970s, then-Bishop Thomas Tschoepe invited a nearby, predominantly Mexican church named Our Lady of Guadalupe to merge with Sacred Heart to become the Cathedral Shrine.
Dora Villasana has attended the National Shrine Cathedral for 20 years and became a church volunteer a few years ago. Villasana, 40, said the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe has been close to her heart since her late grandmother shared it with her as a child.
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Toluwani Osibamowo
/
KERA
The National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Ross Avenue in downtown Dallas was granted shrine status in September 2023 by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops.
An immigrant herself, Villasana said the cathedral holds such importance for Dallas Catholics because many haven’t been able to honor their faith by making the popular pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.
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“Today is very important for all Hispanics, not only Mexicans, but all Hispanics,” Villasana said.
The Dallas cathedral held Mass in both English and Spanish Tuesday, with sanctuary pews filling throughout the night as visitors piled in homage.
Feast day festivities concluded with mariachi and matachines performances — indigenous Latin American dancers wearing tasseled dresses and feathered headpieces marched and twirled around a statue of the Virgin to the thundering beat of drums.
Outside the cathedral, sidewalks were similarly packed with visitors praying to another statue of the Virgin and enjoying tamales, churros, hot chocolate and other snacks from vendors.
Dallas native Jessica Vazquez said she’d never seen the cathedral so packed, and it warmed her heart. She said she enjoyed seeing Catholic traditions besides Christmas get the spotlight.
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“It’s just lively,” Vazquez said. “I love it. Like, I love to see people just come out and just do this for this special day. I really wish it was more often, just instead of the one day. But it’s beautiful.”
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Still image taken from video of stranded passengers waiting for help in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, United States, on Saturday, 11 January, 2025. Photo / Carina Fischer
“Everyone went crazy in the plane. It was bonkers. Everyone was yelling, and at the end, the pilot made the announcement and everyone started chanting ‘new crew, new crew’,” Ruhlman.
“I have to go to work. I’m obviously not going to be able to work on Monday. I was supposed to arrive in Auckland on Friday morning,” Ruhlman said.
Carina Fischer, of Remuera, described the scene in the terminal as “a nightmare”.
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Fischer said: “Everyone is crying. Kids are screaming.”
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She said a relative had helped her buy a hotel room, but she had been washing her clothes in the sink and drying them with a hairdryer.
She was also worried about her child who has ADHD, saying he was without his medication as well.
She claimed American Airlines was “not helpful, not helpful at all”.
Ruhlman echoed that sentiment: “They literally don’t care that they ruined people’s holidays and so many plans – and sanity.”
She said a group of passengers were planning to write to the airline’s chief executive asking for compensation.
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“I’m so tired and still in my same clothes as Wednesday. It’s Monday …”
American Airlines was approached for comment on Saturday, but had yet to respond by Monday morning.
The flight, American Airlines 55, was due to leave the US on Wednesday, but after several false starts, the passengers were still waiting in the terminal on Saturday morning. Photo / Carina Fischer
Another passenger, Sarah Botwright was due to be in New Zealand for a holiday to see her friend, said she had to be home in Ohio and she would likely have to cancel her whole trip to Godzone.
“My luggage will be going to New Zealand regardless of whether I go or not, though,” she said.
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“It’s just insane,” she said of the situation.
Local daily paper the Dallas Morning News reported more than 600 flights to and from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field had been cancelled as of 5pm Friday (12pm, Saturday, NZ).
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More than 800 flights were also delayed. American Airlines flights were the most impacted by the delays, the Dallas Morning News said.
The paper said the delays were due to a snowstorm in North Texas on Thursday which left a dumping of snow and icy conditions.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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Dallas Stars (27-13-1, in the Central Division) vs. Ottawa Senators (20-18-3, in the Atlantic Division)
Ottawa, Ontario; Sunday, 5 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Stars -138, Senators +117; over/under is 5.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Ottawa Senators host the Dallas Stars after the Stars defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in a shootout.
Ottawa has a 10-7-1 record in home games and a 20-18-3 record overall. The Senators have gone 11-5-2 in games their opponents commit more penalties.
Dallas has an 11-8-0 record in road games and a 27-13-1 record overall. The Stars have gone 13-6-1 in games their opponents commit more penalties.
The matchup Sunday is the second time these teams square off this season. The Stars won 4-2 in the last matchup. Roope Hintz led the Stars with two goals.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Joshua Norris has scored 14 goals with nine assists for the Senators. Ridly Greig has four goals and one assist over the past 10 games.
Jason Robertson has 10 goals and 24 assists for the Stars. Wyatt Johnston has four goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Senators: 4-5-1, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.6 assists, 4.4 penalties and 10.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Stars: 8-1-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.6 assists, 2.4 penalties and 4.8 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
INJURIES: Senators: None listed.
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Stars: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
DALLAS — Volunteers laced up their sneakers and beautified Dallas’ Fair Park neighborhood Saturday morning as part of the MLK Fest Dallas 2025, which aims to reduce blight and promote public art.
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Volunteers started off at the MLK Community Center and were assigned to clean up one of eight zones in South Dallas. People mowed grass, renovated homes, and painted a mural.
“It brings community together. A good friend of mine says community and unity are common unity, so we love all of it. We just want to be able to revitalize this place and give the community a sense of pride or ownership and give that back to all,” said Paul Franklin, community outreach director with the Walls Project.
Hundreds of volunteers braved the cold and came together for the large-scale community cleanup. The event brought together people from non-profits, churches, and businesses. The event aims to clean up blight while honoring the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
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“This is just another part of how our community celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, to exemplify how important that is and how that connects us all to each other,” said Shawna Nesbitt, vice president of UT Southwestern Medical Center.
UT Southwestern Medical Center had about 160 volunteers who signed up. One of their projects included painting a mail room and bike rack at an apartment complex. Volunteers also picked up trash, cleared weeds, and spoke with those experiencing homelessness.
“I’m going to speak to the people that we see that are possibly unsheltered in tents and inform them of the center here at Fair Park that just recently opened the shelter,” said Jeremy Connally, an owner with the Epiphany Foundation.
The day ends with a block party at the MLK Community Center and a gala at the Renaissance Center.
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