Worshipers Visit Replica of the Virgin of Guadalupe

The historic pilgrimage of a replica of the Virgin of Guadalupe stopped at a church here Saturday, where more than 300 devotees gathered to cheer, sing and pray to Mexico’s most famous holy image.

Outside St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church, on a basketball court crammed with admirers, two men held onto the large framed image of the gowned woman, whose head is bowed and hands are clasped in prayer.

In the middle of the crowd under clear skies, a dozen people wearing gold native dress and towering feather headdresses performed traditional Aztec dances to beating drums.

“I came over so my kids could know a little bit about my culture,” said Patricia Greene of Westlake Village. Her voiced was drowned slightly by a strolling mariachi band that performed songs in Spanish about the history of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

She said a mariachi song described how the Virgin appeared before a poor, hungry man outside Mexico City.

A smiling, chatty mother of four, Greene brought her children to the church to share some of the Catholic practices she learned as a youngster growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico.

For Moorpark residents Juan and Elizabeth Vazquez, who were accompanied by their 3-year-old son, Ryan, the Virgin of Guadalupe is the mother of Mexico and the image people turn to for strength in conquering problems.

“We believe in her and she is a precious thing. People do things for her. Say, for example, if you want to stop drinking, you pray to her,” said Elizabeth Vazquez.

Like most of the people in the crowd, the Vazquezes brought along a bouquet of red roses as an offering to lay at the foot of the picture.

After about an hour of song and dance outside, the image, matted in gold, was carried slowly into the modern, stained-glass church. The procession was led by Msgr. Joseph George, pastor of the east county parish.

He used incense to bless the computer-generated picture. A line quickly formed in the main aisle and spilled out the entrance into the parking lot.

One by one, people of all ages, including teens in blue jeans, the elderly and the physically challenged, took turns kneeling before the portrait, praying and brushing their hands across it. Many sought out confessional booths before leaving.

“This is very important, because she is like your mother. She is very sacred to us,” said Myra Solano, a Moorpark resident who came with her parents, Pedro and Eva Solano.

In addition to seeking strength and comfort, countless miracles are believed to have been performed by the Virgin. Some came to the church Saturday seeking divine intervention.

“Everyone’s prayer intentions include asking for a little miracle,” said Sister Lisa Megaffin of the nearby Sisters of Notre Dame.

The story of the Virgin of Guadalupe stems from an apparition of the Virgin Mary that was seen in 1531 by Juan Diego, an Aztec convert to Christianity.

Believers say that after appearing to him as a dark-skinned Virgin outside of Mexico City, she left her image on his cloak.

That image lies inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which was built on the site where the appearance reportedly occurred. Since then, the Virgin of Guadalupe has evolved into a powerful sacred image.

The reproduction, blessed earlier this year by Pope John Paul II during a trip to Mexico City, is on a three-month tour to more than 50 parishes throughout the Los Angeles Archdiocese, which includes churches in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

It will also be on display today at St. Paschal Baylon, 155 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Southern California pilgrimage ends Saturday, when the holy image arrives at the Los Angeles Coliseum, where a day of celebrations will be held before it is returned to Mexico City.