Holy Face Monastery hosts diocesan ‘Noche de las Velitas’ Latin-American candlelight event

The diocesan Office for Hispanic Ministry held the annual “Noche de las Velitas” (“Night of the Candles”) on Dec. 10 on the grounds of Holy Face Monastery in Clifton. Bishop Sweeney participated in the event, a Latin-American tradition that honors the Immaculate Conception.

Members of different parish communities from around the Diocese joined the bishop and the Benedictine monks who run Holy Face for an evening candlelight procession on monastery grounds. The faithful prayed the rosary and sang traditional songs to the Blessed Virgin Mary while a few participants recited reflections. Bishop Sweeney said the first decade of the rosary.

The outdoor procession ended at a shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Afterward, participants enjoyed hot cocoa and cookies.

“The Benedictine monks of Holy Face Monastery welcomed the Hispanic community from around the Diocese and participated in the event alongside parents and children. This sign of hospitality and communion further strengthens the bond between the Diocese and the religious communities present within its territorial boundaries,” said Maria Moncaleano, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry.

The Night of the Candles dates back to Dec. 7, 1854, when Pope Pius IX published his apostolic constitution “Ineffabilis Deus,” which defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. People in Colombia lit candles and paper lanterns in celebration of the announcement. It is an annual tradition that Colom­bians and other Latin-American countries have observed ever since.