Call for Amnesty Mexicans offered hope on feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

By Ben Clemente.

Thousands of Mexican New Yorkers jammed St. Patrick's Cathedral Dec. 12 and heard cardinal O'Connor deliver a call for a General Amnesty for undocumented immigrants, capping a day of tributes on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico.

Waring vestements embroidered with the coloful image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Cardinal said in his homily at the Spanish language Mass that he would "ask the U.S. Government for amnesty for all those who don't have cards so you can get better wages and have a better life." His words echoed the Pope Jonh Paul II's call for a worldwide amnesty for foreing born workers.

"There is no room for conflict or division in the Body of Christ," he reminded the congregation. He also warned them against letting their material circumstances lure them into spiritual poverty and confusion wich can be far more damaging. The Cardinal's calls for amnesty and unity were met with resounding applause.

"I'm very happy to hear that because we need the amnesty" dsid Ezequiel Peña, a 30 year-old Mexican from St. Lucy's parish in the Bronx. "We are glad that someone than important as the Cardinal is supporting us." Peña, like many Mexicans in New York City's five boroughs, had remained home from work that day to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe at a series of events. The celebration began with an early morning marathon in wich more than 800 runners carried lighted torches in relays from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on West 14th Street in Manhattan to 20 churches in the city and in Westchester. At the Mass, the captains of the running teams received medals from the Cardinal for their faith filled runs.

"The Virgin is the Mother of the discriminated, and the marathon was a plea to the Virgen for strenght to overcome," said Brpther Joel Magallan, S.J., of the Tepeyac Asociation of New York, wich organized the run and the Mass and issued the call for Mexicans to skip work for the religious observance and to call attention to labor practices that have them working long hours for low wages, often in sweat conditions. At the end of the marathon, the runners and parishioners were treated to Mexican food and folk dances and attended Masses in their parishes.

Rosa Medina, a mother of three, Told CNY she was honored to be one of the torch bearers for Nativity parish on Manhattan's East Side. "I ran because of my devotion to the Virgin. When I finally arrived at my pasirh I was tired, but that quickly left me, when I made the afternoon Mass," She said.

Before the Mass, Román Hernandez, joined by his trhee children, his father, brothers and other family members, stood in the crowd on 51st Street, inching his way toward the cathedral. "I did not work today" the 32 year old restaurant worker fron the Bronx said in an interview. Far away from his mexican homeland, he maintains his reverence for Our Lady of Guadalupe, who appeared to, Juan Diego, an Aztec peasant in 1531. "Even living in New York," he said," I respect and revere." He said, he and other Mexican immigrants simply seek to work in peace for decent wages.