A New Latin Hymn for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

In July of 2023, we shared a new hymn composed by a very talented young Latinist, Mr Sean Pilcher, commissioned by the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, in honor of its patron Saint. The first letters of the five stanzas spell out the last name of Cardinal Burke, who founded the shrine when he was bishop of LaCrosse (1995-2004). Earlier this year, Mr Pilcher wrote a second hymn, which by the same device spells out His Eminence’s middle name, Leo, while the first letters of the lines of the last stanza spell AMEN.

The series has now been completed with a third piece, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Cardinal Burke’s priestly ordination, and thirtieth of episcopal consecration. This hymn spells out his first name in Latin, Raymundus; it will debut today at a solemn celebration at the Shrine in LaCrosse for the feast of the dedication of St Mary Major in Rome, also known as Our Lady of the Snows. The hymn recounts the origins of that basilica, and how its builder, Pope Liberius, was directed by the Virgin Herself to fulfill Her wishes, and those of a pious couple named John and Maria, who wanted to donate their patrimony to Her, by a miraculous snowfall on the Esquiline hill, which took place on August 5, 362. The parallel is drawn throughout between Pope Liberius’ foundation of Mary Major in Rome, and Cardinal Burke’s foundation of ‘this sanctuary,’ the Guadalupe Shrine in La Crosse. Mr Pilcher has been kind enough to share this third piece with NLM; notes are provided below to explain some of the allusions and provide historical information.

Romae gaudet Ecclesia hoc et in sanctuario, in festo tantae gloriae, In templo voces resonent.	The Church at Rome rejoices, And she also rejoices in this sanctuary, On this feast of such great glory, Let voices ring out in the temple.
Altari ordinatus vir, Virginis in servitio, Ut Vrbe ius protegeret, hic Christi oves pasceret.	The man was ordained for the altar, In Rome, in the service of the Virgin, In order that he might keep the law safe, Here that he might feed Christ’s sheep.
Ymnum canamus actuum, imaginis mirificae, domique Dei Altissimi, in summa collis culmine.	Let us sing a hymn of his deeds, Of the wondrous image, Of the house of God Most High, On the high-point of the hill.
Munus tributum a Petro, in populi regimine, eiusdem Pauli ordinis, triplo sacratus chrismate.	His charge was given before Peter, To rule over the people, He now held the same order as Paul, Thrice hallowed with chrism.
Virgo Maria Domina Pontifici hoc pignore Et Ioannis et coniugis Donum orationibus:	The Lady Virgin Mary, Gave a gift to the pontiff, With this bright white pledge, By the prayers of John and his wife.
Nives iecit mirifice Et fundamenta ecclesiae, Sacris cunis e Bethlehem, Et laudibus Deiparae.	God spread snow in a wondrous fashion, And laid the foundations of a church, For the sacred crib from Bethlehem, And praises for the God-bearer.
Dedicamus solemniter Signum ostendens omnibus, Voluntatem Dei Patris et Virginis imperium.	Let us solemnly dedicate, As a sign showing all men, Of God the Father’s will And the Virgin’s rule.
Vocibus exultantibus ut Liberi te oramus: Absconde nos semper tutos Caeruleo velamine.	With exultant voices, As children we pray you: Hide us always safe, Under your blue mantle.
Summo sit laus Deo Patri Honorque, virtus Filio, Paraclito qui inspirat, et sempiterna gloria. Amen.	Praise be to God the Highest Father, And honour, power to the Son, And to the Paraclete who inspires, Glory for ever and ever. Amen.

In the third stanza, the omission of an initial H, which was hardly pronounced by the Romans, in the word “hymnus”, and starting with Y to fit the acrostic, is attested in various early Christian poets. Mary Major holds the miraculous icon known as the Salus Populi Romani, and the shrine in LaCrosse has a mosaic copy of the Tilma from Guadalupe. Both churches are built on hills. The second stanza refers to the Cardinal’s study of canon law in Rome. Liberius held Peter’s office; Cardinal Burke was called to the episcopacy by Peter’s successor. The feast of Ss Peter & Paul, both named in this verse, is the Cardinal’s anniversary of priestly ordination. Mary Major was founded, according to the traditional story, with a large donation made by a man named John (Ioannes) and his wife Maria; this is also an oblique reference to the hymn’s author, of the same name in its Irish form, Sean. As referred to in the sixth stanza, the relic of the crib of Our Lord is also kept at Mary Major.

A statue of St Juan Diego holding the tilma. 

The famous icon of the Virgin Mary titled “Salus Populi Romani,” painted in the 6th or 7th century, and now housed in the Borghese Chapel at Saint Mary Major. The jewels and crowns seen here have been removed in subsequent restorations.

A New Latin Hymn for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

A new Latin hymn for liturgical use was commissioned earlier this year by the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and composed by Latinist Sean Pilcher. The hymn’s organ accompaniment was originally written by the prolific French organist and improviser Pierre Cochereau (1924-84), who worked as the titular organist of Notre-Dame de Paris for three decades. Its meter is drawn from a twelfth-century sequence Jerusalem et Sion Filiae, which was sung on the feast of the Dedication of a Church in the Use of Paris. This sequence was written by by the cathedral’s famous precentor, Adam of Saint-Victor (1080 ca. – 1146), whose liturgical compositions were well-known across Europe.

The interior of the main church at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, with a reproduction of the tilma in the apse over the main altar. (Image from Wikimedia Commons by Pgnielsen79, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Shrine wanted a Latin hymn which could be sung to Cochereau’s organ masterpiece, but which focused on Our Lady’s patronage of the Shrine and highlighted elements from the Guadalupe story. The metre is decidedly mediaeval, and resembles that of the original Victorine repertoire of the twelfth century, while incorporating images from the greater, more ancient Marian hymnody of the Roman rite.

Since the hymn’s debut at an organ recital given by the shrine’s Director of Sacred Music and organist, Scott Turkington, it has been used liturgically for Pontifical Masses and religious professions held there.

The hymn, followed by a translation and some brief commentary by the author, to whom we are very grateful for sharing it with us.

Ad Virginem Guadalupanam	A literal English translation
Beato e caelo succurrere Parvulum Alma in itinere Ioannes, inquit, noli timere: Ave Maria!	From the blessed heavens the Sweet Mother comes to aid her little one on the way. ‘John,’ she said, ‘fear not!’ Ave Maria!
Verbum Sapientiae mundana Tunc ignotum in terra pagana Vincit cum ancilla christiana, Ave Maria!	The Word of Wisdom, then unknown, in that pagan land, comes to conquer worldliness with His Christian handmaid Ave Maria!
Regina sui petit honori, Solemne signum impugnatori Sacrum et genti et novo orbi, Ave Maria!	The Queen bids for her honour a solemn sign, set against the Adversary, sacred to the people and the New World Ave Maria!
Kaloni pallium fidelibus A Dei manu incredentibus, Pictum rosis, luna sub pedibus, Ave Maria!	She gives a tilma to her little minister for the faithful, painted by the hand of God for unbelievers, with roses, and the moon beneath her feet. Ave Maria!
Eburneam turrem advolamus Subter caeruleo superamus, Speculo Iustitiae collaudemus: Ave Maria!	We fly to the Tower of Ivory, under her caerulean veil we prevail, let us say to the Mirror of Justice: Ave Maria!

The first letters of each stanza form an acrostic to honor the patron of both the shrine and the hymn, His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal BVRKE; inclusion of the patron in some way into a work is of course a long-standing tradition in sacred art. The Latin word “pallium – cover, cloak” is used in other places in the Roman liturgy to describe the miraculous tilma. “Calo” is a very old loanword from Greek, possibly even Punic, meaning a low-ranking servant or an aide-de-camp, a fitting title for St Juan Diego, who lived his remaining years as a hermit in quiet, humble service to Our Lady. It is here spelled with a K, a device often employed by medieval writers to fit an acrostic when required, since the letter is not normally used in Latin. “Speculum Justitiae – Mirror of Justice” is the title under which canonists invoke Our Lady, and is used here as a tribute to the important contributions to canon law made by the shrine’s founder, as well as the annual conference held there for canonists.

Pontifical High Mass with Cardinal Burke and Christkindlmarkt in La Crosse, December 14-15

We are very pleased to announce two very special things happening on this upcoming weekend at the magnificent Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. This Saturday, December 14th, His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke will celebrate a Pontifical High Mass in the traditional rite at the main church of the shrine, starting at 11am; over the weekend, the shrine will have a traditional German Christmas market on both Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. The shrine is located at 5250 Justin Rd.

Photos from Pontifical Rorate Mass with Cardinal Burke in La Crosse

Today, His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke offered a Pontifical Mass in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The nave was packed with faithful, with additional folding chairs set up around the church and overflow seating in the basement. The Mass was the traditional “Rorate” Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Advent. Music was provided by the Choir and Schola of St Mary’s Oratory in Wausau, Wisconsin (see final picture). Much gratitude is due to His Eminence for celebrating this resplendent, age-old rite in which Our Lord truly comes among us in word, chant, silence, and Sacrament, and for having initiated and guided the construction of this glorious temple of God built in honor of the patroness of the Americas and of the unborn.

This Shrine was begun in 2004 and dedicated in 2008

Tradition is for the young! This schola cantorum sang all the propers of the Mass in full (including the Gradual and the Alleluia), and the average age was about 18.

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EF Pontifical Mass with Bishop Schneider in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Oct. 24

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, will welcome His Excellency Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Maria Santissima in Astana in Kazakhstan, for a Pontifical High Mass on Tuesday, October 24th, the feast of St Raphael the Archangel. The shrine is located at 5250 Justin Road; the Mass will begin at 6 pm.