DELRAY BEACH | The 2025 International Marian Festival May 4 at Emmanuel Parish in Delray Beach honored the Mother of God with a colorful display of cultural diversity.
Faithful from parishes across the diocese and beyond carried pictures and statues of Mary with her many titles representing their country of origin. Each decade of the rosary was prayed in different languages. Children were dressed as angels and Junior Legion of Mary members from St. Rita in Wellington wore their Mother Mary t-shirts. Vietnamese Catholics dressed in their cultural garb performed a liturgical dance honoring the Blessed Mother.
“I moved here three months ago and was at Mass and came here because I am curious to see the whole ceremony of the Virgin,” Teresa Cresco said.
Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito welcomed everyone, offering “a big thanks to Father (Gaudioso) Zamora and all those here at Emmanuel for putting this together and allowing us to use their magnificent rosary walk.”
“As we come together this day, let’s turn our hearts and consecrate our hearts to our Blessed Mother,” and in a special way “we remember our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who is now with the Lord and with Mary,” he said, four days before the election of Pope Leo XIV.
The recitation of the rosary began, and during the luminous mysteries, the sky turned dark, and thunder was heard. The rosary was continued with the faithful inside the church. After everyone was inside, heavy rains came.
“We got out of the rain just in time, and I have no doubt that our Blessed Mother helped us with that to make sure that we stay dry,” the bishop said. “This is a great day because on this first Sunday of May we come together, as we do every year, to celebrate this Marian festival (and) renew our consecration to our Blessed Mother.”
Bishop Barbarito expressed joy that every year the faithful “come together with so many different images and titles of Our Lady from so many different cultural backgrounds within our diocese. We are so blessed in that regard.
“As we honor Mary in this fashion, we realize that she truly is our mother,” he said, adding that Mary is always “placing before us the example of what it means to be followers of her Son, Jesus Christ.”
Bringing to mind Pope Francis, who died April 21, the bishop said the Holy Father “lived his life in close union with Mary as his mother, and on so many occasions “he spoke of Mary” and gave us “the example of being devoted to Mary.”
Bishop Barbarito explained that Mary will always “open the door for us, open the door in our lives, untie the knots in our lives,” and always show us “the mercy and compassion of her Son, as she was the first to live all of that.”
Outside the church, holding a statue of Mary and a rose standing before a large statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe with roses at her feet, Maria Isabell said, “Mary is important because we need for Mother Mary to go to the King (Jesus), interceding for us.”
For more information on events at Emmanuel Parish, visit www.emmanuelcatholic.church or call 561-496-2480. To learn about activities and events throughout the diocese, go to www.diocesepb.org/news/.
