Zacatecas, Zac.- From 6:00 in the morning on Sunday, November 19, hundreds of Catholic faithful gathered at the Cathedral Basilica of Zacatecas. The bishop of the Diocese, Sigifredo Noriega Barceló, led an emotional religious ceremony to say goodbye to the Virgin of the Preladita, marking the beginning of the traditional Pilgrimage that will take her to her sanctuary in the convent of Guadalupe.
Devotees full of faith and gratitude promised to accompany the Virgin in gratitude for the favors received:
“The birth of my granddaughter, my daughter did well in her pregnancy, I just got off my feet and my holy mother helped me.”
“If my baby was premature and I asked the Virgin a lot to leave her to me, then she lives and in her honor my daughter is called Guadalupe.”
“No, because I thank you for doing me very big favors, one for a sister-in-law of mine and a person I have in Cerereso to come out, and well, I’m asking a lot for their recovery and for my parents.”
The Pilgrimage, which included the company of Morismas, began after 7:00 in the morning, traveling through the main streets of the historic center of Zacatecas, the metropolitan boulevard and the streets of Guadalupe. The faithful celebrated with joy, balloons, confetti and even a sawdust mat that covered the entire street.
After almost 5 hours of procession and six months of pilgrimage through temples and neighborhoods in the metropolitan area, the Preladita arrived at the Juárez Garden in front of the Convent of Guadalupe. The place, full of devotees, witnessed a special mass and a message of gratitude from Fray Enrique Reyes Rodríguez, Father Guardian of the Convent of Guadalupe. Father Guardian: “We have perhaps even lost faith, but on this journey it is simply reminds us; you are not alone, I am here.
Historians explain that this tradition dates back to 1704, when Fray Antonio Margil de Jesús founded the Apostolic College of Propaganda Fide of “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” The image of the Virgin, brought from Guatemala, gained popularity in 1737 after protecting Zacatecas from the Matlazahuatl plague. Every year, the faithful commemorate this event, remembering the miracle that leads the Virgin to visit the temples of Zacatecas.
