OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PILGRIMAGE KICKS OFF WITH A FIRST-EVER VISIT TO CATALINA ISLAND

September 21, 2016  |  By: newsroom  |  Press Releases  |  2 Comments

In celebration of the 485^th anniversary of the miraculous apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego, this year La Peregrina, a pilgrim image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, will start the annual pilgrimage to parishes in the five regions of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on Tuesday, September 27, with a first-ever visit to St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Catalina Island (800 Beacon St., Avalon, 90704), where a Mass will be celebrated at 6p.m. by Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Solis for the San Pedro Pastoral Region. The community of Catalina Island will be able to venerate the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe after the Mass.

Upon its return to Los Angeles, the images of La Peregrina and St. Juan Diego will visit nearly 50 designated pilgrimage churches during the Jubilee Year of Mercy, in all five pastoral regions of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The traveling images will visit two parishes in Long Beach, Holy Innocents Church (425 E. 20^th St., 90806) from Thursday, Sept. 29 through Friday, Sept. 30, and St. Anthony Church (600 Olive Avenue, 90802) from Saturday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 2. After visiting churches in Los Nietos, Manhattan Beach, Whittier, Downey and Bellflower, the pilgrimage will make its way to Los Angeles, where the images will be welcomed and venerated by more than 10 church communities the rest of October. (Attached is a pilgrimage schedule.)

The annual pilgrimage of the images will conclude on December 4 at the 85^th Annual Procession and Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in East Los Angeles. The Guadalupe Procession is the oldest religious procession in L.A. It was established by Mexican Catholics who fled persecution by the Mexican government during the Cristero War in 1931.

La Peregrina, a pilgrim image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, is an exact digital reproduction of the original image in Mexico City’s Basilica, which has been blessed and touched to the original image. This year marks the 10th anniversary when the gift was hand-delivered to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Monsignor Diego Monroy, then Rector of Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City.

The Our Lady of Guadalupe Pilgrimage takes place each year in spiritual preparation for the Guadalupe Procession and Mass — the Archdiocese’s annual celebration commemorating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe that recalls the miraculous apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Juan Diego at Cerro del Tepeyac (Tepeyac Hill), Mexico City, in December 1951, when she left her image on his “tilma” or cloak. Her image has been a symbol of unity, peace, compassion, and hope for people around the world.

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