Another 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). (Photos by Mr Pilcher.)

Mr Pilcher has now completed another 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 will culminate in a third piece later this year, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Cardinal Burke’s priestly ordination, and thirtieth of episcopal consecration, and will spell out his first name; it is planned to debut at a solemn celebration of the feast of the dedication of Our Lady of the Snows on August 5th. Mr Pilcher has been kind enough to share this second piece in the series with NLM in time for us to publish it on the feast of St Raymond of Penyafort, Cardinal Burke’s patron both as his name Saint and as patron of canon lawyers. Some explanatory notes are given below.

Lux populorum omnium, Praesertim nostrum columen, Decus, pratorum gloria, Et inter spinas lilium.	O light of all peoples, Especially the pillar of our own, Splendor (and) glory    of our meadows, A lily among the thorns.
Erubescente flumine, Fluxus cruoris martyrum Praeconium nunc addidit Conceptionis nomini.	As the (Great) River blushed red, A flow of the blood of martyrs Has now added praise To the name of the Conception.
O alma super segetes, Inter petras calcarias, Clivos et haec cacumina, Duc nos ad usque caelica.	O nurturing woman    above the fields of corn, Amidst the limestone, rocky cliffs, And among the hill-sides, Bring us unto the heavenly heights.
Aeterno Patri gloria, Mitique Leoni Iudae, Et ligna sacranti nece, Nobis qui mittat Spiritum.	Glory to the Eternal Father, And to the meek Lion of Judah, Who hallows even the woods    by His death; May he send us also the Spirit.

The expression “A lily amid the thorns” is taken from the Song of Songs, 2, 2, and traditionally applied to the Virgin Mary as a reference to the Immaculate Conception. The Great River is the Mississippi, which the Jesuit missionary Fr Jacques Marquette originally named the River of the Immaculate Conception. The martyrs in the second stanza are his Jesuit confreres who are collectively honored as the North American Martyrs. The lion of Judah in the last stanza is also, of course, an oblique reference to Cardinal Burke, as noted above.

A statue of St Juan Diego holding the tilma.