b'Marias sister that Maria was childless, and she wishedto offer the baby girl to the Smiths in a private adoption.Stunned, frightened and hopeful, Maria and Paulmade the 100-mile drive to Corpus Christi the followingday to meet the mother and baby. We were prayingto La Virgen the whole way, Maria says, the rawemotions and memories re-emerging in her voice.The babys mother agreed to Maria and Pauls termsthat the adoption be fully legal and final. We hadstruggled with childlessness for so long, we could notbear the thought of further heartbreak, Maria says.Paul and Maria quickly made arrangements to takethe baby home, buying a car seat and basic supplies.It was just after midnight on Dec. 12 when Maria,Paul and the baby girl arrived home in Victoria. Paul,do you realize what just happened? Maria remembersasking her husband before she broke down in tears.Our Lady delivered a child to us today, on her day.Maria called her mother later that same morning,still exclaiming over the turn of events. My mom justsaid, I knew La Virgen would find a way to give youa child. Ive been praying to her for this for years.Many months later, once the adoption was finalized,the little girl was renamed Marisa Guadalupe Smith.Maria Smith, minister ofThe grateful mother The New York Marianistpastoral music at St. Marys Maria Smith is minister of pastoral music at St. Marys Father John Thompson was raised on Long Island,University, at the Guadalupe New York. He professed first vows as a Marianist inCultural Arts Center inUniversity, a Marianist university in San Antonio. 1992 and has ministered in locations as varied asSan Antonio Maria says she cant remember a time when Our Honolulu and south Florida. Lady of Guadalupe was not part of her daily life. In 2015, Father John was called to serve alongsideMy family was like many Mexican-American families. Mexican Marianists in Corregidora, in the state ofLa Virgen is not someone to be venerated exactly Our Lady delivered shes more like a member of the family. Someone wea child to us today, talk to all the time, Maria says. She remembers heron her day. mother blessing her in the name of La Virgen everymorning as she headed out to school. Maria Smith And for Maria, the impact of Our Lady of Guadalupeon her life is both miraculous and profound.In the mid-1990s Maria and her husband, Paul, wereheartbroken to learn they could not have children.The couple was living in Victoria, Texas, where Paulwas a school administrator and Maria a teacher.They resigned themselves to the notion that theschoolchildren would be their children.Then, on Dec. 10, 1999, Maria received a startlingcall from her sister, who lived in Corpus Christi, Texas.Her sister knew a young woman who was looking to adopt-out her four-month old baby. Two of thewomans older children already had been removedfrom her custody, and she accepted that she would not Father John Thompson, SM, pastor of Holy Rosary Parish, be able to care for this new baby. She had heard from a Marianist parish in San Antonio6 Call 1.800.348.4732'