Downtown Cathedral Hosts Midnight Mass on Feast of Our Lady of Guadelupe

Catholics around the world celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadelupe on or around Dec. 12 each year with prayers, plays and celebration.

Catholics, especially those in Latin America, believe that the Virgin appeared to peasant-saint Juan Diego, in 1531, and left her image on his cloak.

Los Angeles's Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is the only place in the United States where a piece of that cloak is stored.

That makes Tuesday evening's celebration and Spanish-language mass particulary sacred for locals--and worth checking out for anyone interested in our city's Latin heritage.

It's the first time the Cathedral has celebrated on the fest's eve with performances on the plaza starting at 6 p.m.

Live music inside the Cathedral--featuring musical performances by Graciela Beltrán,  Rubén Sandoval, Jackie Ibarra and others--begins at 10 p.m.

The mass itself begins at midnight. It had been celebrated at 4:45 a.m. on the feast day in previous years.

The event is free and open to the public, though early arrival is recommended.

Click through to get the link to the live stream starting at 10 p.m.