About 25 students gathered in a classroom in the Humanities building at SF State this afternoon to pray, honor, and serenade the Lady of Guadalupe.

“The Virgin Mary is very important to us,” said senior dietetics major Flor Alverez, 28, who is also the president of the Catholic campus ministry. “In here, we are all Catholics and she is our Mother.”

According to Alverez, Dec. 12 is a very important day for Mexicans and Catholics everywhere because on this day, in the year 1531, Lady Guadalupe appeared to Saint Juan Diego and helped Mexico cure all of its political problems. It is for this reason that they choose to celebrate her today, she said.

“For Mexicans, she brought together what was impossible to bring together,” said Sibele Gaya, 28, who is not a student at SF State, but works for the Newman Club Catholic Campus Ministry through the St. Thomas More Church.

The event was sponsored by the Newman Club Catholic Campus Ministry as a way for students to come and celebrate on campus. There was also Mexican sweet bread and hot chocolate available after the ceremony was over.

During the ceremony, two guitar players from the church performed while students sang along in worship. There was also a moment of silence for prayer and some students lit candles in devotion and prayer to the Lady of Guadalupe.

Gaya explained that the white candles signified peace, while the red candles were for love.

“Peace, love, justice, and hope. I think those are all things that this world needs,” Gaya said.

Though ultimately, SF Students were there to honor and celebrate the Lady of Guadalupe, some had different reasons for coming.

“I brought my son because his father is Catholic and I know it is important to him to have this religion in his son’s life,” said junior industrial technology major Rosa Larios, 29, who brought her son Brandon, 3.

Senior psychology major Christina Gomez, 22, said her decision to come was a personal choice to help find herself and her religion again. She brought two friends with her to share in the experience and also be a part of something different and interesting, she said.

“My friend told me about this so I came to check it out,” said senior psychology major Raquel Thompson, 22. “I’m really confused about religion right now, but it was still nice to sit down and pray to someone.”

Alverez said that the Catholic campus ministry has students who are German, Asian, Australian and Columbian. She said this event was for everyone as a way for them to share their faith and their roots.