Fr. Don’s Weekly Letter ~ 19 October 2025

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

If you didn’t have a chance to join with our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters in last week’s celebration, I thought I would print a shortened text of my homily:

Today, we gather to celebrate one of the most profound and moving devotions in the Catholic world — El Señor de los Milagros, the Lord of the Miracles. This feast, born in the heart of Lima, Peru, centuries ago, has become a symbol of unity, hope, and faith that transcends national borders. It is a devotion that speaks powerfully not only to the Peruvian people but also to all who know what it means to endure suffering, to search for belonging, and to trust in God amid uncertainty — especially our brothers and sisters who have journeyed far from their homeland to seek a better life.

The story of the Lord of the Miracles begins in the mid-17th century in the humble neighborhood of Pachacamilla, on the outskirts of Lima. This was a community of Afro-Peruvian slaves — people without power or wealth, but rich in faith. One of them, whose name history has not preserved, painted an image of the Crucified Christ on a mud wall — not as a famous artist, but as a servant of God. He depicted Jesus nailed to the cross, with the Holy Spirit above and the Father’s presence radiating from heaven. Beneath the cross stood the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, mourning yet believing.

In 1655, a massive earthquake struck Lima, destroying much of the city. Buildings crumbled, walls fell — but that painted wall with the image of Christ remained standing, untouched by the devastation. People saw in this a sign — a miracle — and began to gather there to pray. Later, when attempts were made to remove or repaint the image, it could not be erased. The devotion grew, especially after more earthquakes confirmed what the faithful already knew: God was present in this image, offering comfort and hope to the afflicted.

Over time, a chapel was built, and each October, processions began through the streets of Lima. The faithful carried a large copy of the image on their shoulders, dressed in purple habits of penance and devotion. Even today, October in Peru is known as the “Purple Month,” a time when millions walk through the streets in prayer, incense, and song — honoring Christ crucified as the Lord of the Miracles, the God who does not abandon His people.
Christ is not distant or detached, but suffering with his people. He is the Christ who stands firm even when the world shakes. His wall did not crumble, because his love does not crumble.

That is the message our world desperately needs today. We live in times of upheaval — not only from natural disasters, but from spiritual, emotional, and social ones. Families are separated, economies are unstable, and faith can feel fragile. Yet in the midst of this uncertainty, Christ remains. His cross still stands. His mercy still flows.

God is not absent from the lives of the poor, the migrant, the laborer, the mother struggling to raise her children in a new country. No — he is there, in the middle of it all, enduring with us, blessing our tears, and transforming them into hope. For so many immigrants, especially those from Latin America, the Lord of the Miracles has become a companion on the journey — a reminder of home, but also a reminder of God’s nearness. When one leaves one’s homeland, crosses deserts or oceans, learns a new language, and works tirelessly to provide for loved ones, it can feel as though everything familiar has been shaken — just like Lima in that earthquake. Yet, as in that story, the Lord’s image remains standing.

He is the Christ who walks with the migrant, the one who knows what it means to have no place to lay his head. He understands the pain of being misunderstood, the anxiety of providing for family, the longing for dignity and justice. But he also offers strength, hope, and solidarity.

The Lord of the Miracles invites us to solidarity. He calls the whole Church — not only Peruvians or Latinos — to recognize the face of Christ in every person who suffers, especially the immigrant and the poor. The miracle is not only that a wall did not fall — it is that a community was born around that image, a community that cared for one another and became a living sign of God’s mercy.

The Lord be with you,