Southern Nebraska Register
The Catholic Diocese of Lincoln will host one of 12 nationwide Masses in 2025, as part of “Project Guadalupe 2031” and in celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope.
In a 2022 homily, Pope Francis called on Catholics across the Americas to spend the next nine years – until 2031 – praying and preparing for the 500th anniversary of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, which brought Christ to the Americas.
“I urge all members of the pilgrim Church in the Americas, pastors and faithful,” Pope Francis said, “to participate in this celebratory journey that aims to promote an encounter with God through Our Lady of Guadalupe, for the renewal of the social and ecclesial fabric of these peoples and communities.”
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, in conjunction with the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship, recently announced Project Guadalupe 2031 as a new, multi-year initiative to inspire more U.S. Catholics to answer Pope Francis’ call.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe changed a continent,” Archbishop Cordileone said. “The 500th anniversary of her appearance to a poor, indigenous farmer in Tepeyac is also the 500th anniversary of the birth of Christianity in the Americas. We hope all Christians, but especially all U.S. Catholics, will join us in preparing to welcome Mary into our hearts and homes.”
The highlight of Project Guadalupe 2031 will be new celebrations of the Frank La Rocca’s Mass of the Americas, a unity Mass to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception commissioned by Archbishop Cordileone. It uses texts in Spanish, English, Latin and Nahuatl, and raises Mexican folk hymns to Mary (especially “La Guadalupana”) into the high sacred music tradition of the Church.
Twelve Masses will be celebrated across the U.S. during the Jubilee Year of Hope – thus far planned in California, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin – and Nebraska. The Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln was chosen to host one of the Masses. It will be celebrated Dec. 12, 2025.
“The sacred and soaring beauty of the Mass of the Americas will bring Catholics together in Eucharistic worship, under the mantle of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe,” Bishop James Conley of Lincoln said. “I am so pleased to participate in Project Guadalupe 2031 and to respond to Pope Francis’ call.”
In addition to the Masses across the U.S., Archbishop Cordileone will celebrate the Mass of the Americas in Mexico at the shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, built where she appeared 500 years ago. The Mass – set to the Mass of the Americas – will be celebrated Oct. 7, 2025, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
“This is the fulfilment of a great dream of mine, praise God—to bring this beautiful unity Mass to Our Mother to the place she appeared a half a millennium ago,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “My thanks to the brilliant young Mestizo-American conductor Richard Carrillo who will be leading a festival choir in celebrating the Mass of the Americas with me.”
The large festival choir, organized with Jubilate, an arm of Perform-International, will gather hundreds of voices from across the United States to Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Shrine – and then bring back to dozens of parishes the news of Pope Francis’s call to prepare for the 500th anniversary. Composer Frank La Rocca will be present, and the choir will be directed by Richard Carrillo.
Options for non-singers to join the pilgrimage are also available. The Mass will be broadcast by EWTN.
Amy Flamminio, choir director at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ, said a diocesan choir will be able to participate in the Mass.
“We hope Lincoln singers and pilgrims are well represented,” she said. Registration is open now. Those interested in participating may visit https://tri.ps/93e1E for more information.
Stacy Pfeifer of North American Martyrs Parish in Lincoln is the Lincoln Diocesan Choir coordinator for the Mexico pilgrimage. She said they hope to get at least 20 people signed up. Spouses and friends are welcome to sign up, as well. She can be reached by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Flamminio would also like to hear from singers who want to participate in the Dec. 12 Mass at the Cathedral.
“They will learn the music ahead of time on their own,” she explained,” and we will hold several rehearsals with Richard Carrillo in the week or two leading up to the Mass.”
Those interested in participating may reach out to her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to be the first to get the registration information when it opens.
In addition to the new celebrations of the Mass of the Americas, Project Guadalupe 2031 also includes a new Home Enthronement Initiative, inspiring Catholic families to prepare to enthrone an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and consecrate their homes to the Virgin Mary. A newly commissioned painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe by San Francisco artist Bernadette Carstensen, and a new litany for Our Lady of Guadalupe and American Saints by poet James Matthew Wilson are available. To register to receive the home enthronement package, visit https://benedictinstitute.org/.
