St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester on Jan. 19 commemorated the Feast of Cristo Negro de Esquipulas — or “The Black Christ of Esquipulas” — with a Spanish Mass. Devotion to the Black Christ of Esquipulas has spread widely outside its native Guatemala, especially in Central America, Mexico, and the United States. The devotion’s feast day is Jan. 15.
During the Mass, Bishop Sweeney censed a small Cristo Negro statue depicting Jesus’ crucifixion, lent to St. Lawrence by a Guatemalan parish family. Guatemalans and faithful from other Latin American countries were joined by many Anglos of the parish for the liturgy, the third time St. Lawrence held a Cristo Negro de Esquipulas Mass.
Spanish conquistadors commissioned the original Cristo Negro statue for a church in Esquipulas in Guatemala. Portuguese sculptor Quirio Cataño carved the dark wooden image in 1594 in Antigua. In 1595, it was installed in the church. By 1603, a miracle had been attributed to the icon, attracting increasing numbers of pilgrims over the centuries.
In 1758, the Basilica Esquipulas was inaugurated to house the original Cristo Negro image. It’s the second most important religious site in the Americas, after the Virgin of Guadeloupe in Mexico.
Father Nicholas Bozza, St. Lawrence’s pastor, and Father Angel Torres, the parish’s parochial vicar, concelebrated the liturgy with the bishop. Deacon Bill DeVizio assisted with the Mass. Worshippers included men from La Mesa Rodonda, or “The Round Table” in Spanish, part of St. Lawrence’s Knights of Columbus.
For the Mass, St. Lawrence Church was adorned with flags representing the worshippers’ various Latin American countries of origin. The Cristo Negro de Esquipulas Mass is among many devotions and activities by the parish’s growing Hispanic community under the leadership of Father Torres.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI