Predawn Procession Begins Day of Honoring Virgin of Guadalupe

Before sunrise Thursday, a snaking mass of guadalupanos braved the morning chill and paraded through downtown’s streets behind an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a traditional procession that marks the feast day of the patron saint of Mexico.

They were led by a large troupe of Aztec dancers who punctuated the predawn calm with pounding drums, showing how the Dec. 12 holiday is as much a pageant of Mexican culture as it is a religious celebration.

“It’s faith for the Virgin that moves us to come here. We wait on her love and miracles,” said Elivia Perez, 42, as she watched the bundled-up pilgrims go by. “It’s part of our culture.”

Since Sunday, Guadalupe-related services and performances have been held all over Los Angeles. Believers have come out in larger numbers this year because the image in the procession, held customarily before dawn, is an “official replica” of the original from the Virgin’s basilica in Mexico City.

Thursday’s procession started at the old St. Vibiana’s Cathedral on Main and 2nd streets, and took nearly an hour to cover the half-mile to the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Temple Street. There, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony welcomed the faithful.

Los Angeles-area Spanish television networks covered the procession and the Mass that Mahony celebrated at 5:30 a.m., streaming footage from helicopters and featuring on-location anchors.

The procession and Mass kicked off a full day of events at the cathedral and the nearby La Placita Church near Olvera Street that included several Masses, as well as dance and musical performances.

The Virgin of Guadalupe is said to have appeared before Juan Diego on Dec. 12, 1531, atop a hill outside Mexico City. The image of the Virgin emblazoned on his cloak, deemed a miracle, helped tremendously to advance the goals of the Spanish church as it tried to convert the recently conquered native peoples of Mexico.

Since then, the Virgin has been regarded as the “Empress of the Americas” and has even become a pop culture icon for Latino youth and artists. She is credited for thousands of miracles, and is widely considered a protector of the poor and meek.

“I have always had great devotion for the Virgin of Guadalupe. It was like a manda [mandate] for me to be here, even though I’m a guero colorado [a red-faced white man],” chuckled Father Pat Brennan. “The Virgin belongs to all of us. She is the Empress of the Americas.”

The special image has been taken to several parishes across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for more than a week. It will reside for some time at the cathedral.

By midmorning, hundreds of people had converged on La Placita, where a growing profusion of flowers was piled high against a much-loved mural of the Virgin. Hundreds of lighted candles adorned the makeshift altar.

Nearby, children in colorful traditional dress had their pictures taken before mini-images of the Virgin as excited parents urged them to smile.

“For me, she is the one who gives us miracles. We all came here as immigrants, suffering, and that’s a miracle,” said 70-year-old Lillia Pacheco.