For countless Mexican and Mexican-American Catholics, it is an annual pilgrimage of faith and gratitude.
“It’s our Catholic tradition,” said Karina Medina. “It’s where we came from.”
Tens of thousands of believers have flocked to the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe to honor her: the Patroness Saint of Mexico and The Americas.
December 12 marks the culmination of the Feast Day of our Lady of Guadalupe.
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“I see this feast with hope because they are coming here to pay their homage and actually to take the message: Let Christ live in our hearts so He can make us better persons in this world,” said Father Jesus Belmontes.
The religious event commemorates the storied appearance of the Virgin Mary before an indigenous peasant in Mexico City in 1531.
“She chose the Mexican lineage to represent us, so the Virgencita is very, very important to us,” Jesus Garay said.
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The beloved tradition includes serenades by mariachi.
The Diocese of Dallas with a population estimated at 1.3 million has held solemn services in English and Spanish. Some processions involve the physical act of devotion by walking on one’s knees.
Dance troupes, called Matachines, perform with colorful headdresses and attire inspired by Aztec ancestors.
“It’s all in the heart. The dancing is part of us. If you can feel the happiness, the joy you feel it,” said dancer Jesus Garay. “We do it for the Virgin Mary. We do it from the heart.”
La Morenita, a beloved symbol of Mexican heritage and identity.
The sacred event culminates with mass in Spanish Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of Dallas.
