Hundreds dance, sing in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Phoenix

A procession stuffed with Aztec dancers, mojigangas and floats with recreations of the Virgin Mary produced its way by means of downtown Phoenix and up to the courtyard of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Basilica on Saturday.

The procession, structured by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, commenced at the corner of Washington and 8th streets and ended with an outdoor mass and the praying of the rosary in entrance of the Basilica.

The colourful and musical party — made up of more than 60 teams symbolizing church buildings, dance troupes and musicians — kicked off the 9 times of Novena of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Mexican Catholic observance that finishes on the feast day for the patron saint of México.

The feast commemorates the tale of the Virgin Mary showing to St. Juan Diego in 1531 on the web site that is now home to the Basilica of Our Woman of Guadalupe in México Town.

In México, the 9-day period of time is observed with each day processions, re-enactments and prayer, culminating in a celebration that commences with a mass at midnight on Dec. 12 and a pageant-like celebration that lasts most of the day.

Aztec dancers make participate in the procession in commemoration of Our Lady of Guadalupe in downtown Phoenix on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.

Every single yr, hundreds of thousands of devout Catholics make the pilgrimage to the Basilica in México Metropolis at the commencing of the Novena to shell out homage to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

For immigrants and kids of immigrants in Phoenix, this celebration offers a slice of property.

Just after ten many years of accomplishing, Karen Carillo, who danced with the Danza Morenita Del Tepeyac from the St. Vincent de Paul Church in Phoenix, nevertheless feels a spiritual connection. 

“When we start off dancing, we thank the Virgin Mary and thank God for offering us an additional working day to be equipped to do this for them,” she stated. “I mainly just speak to him even though I’m performing the dance.”

People from all over the Valley took part in the procession in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in downtown Phoenix on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.

She just can’t think of a better way to categorical her faith than as a result of dance, which also connects her to household. The dance group of about a dozen was designed up of brothers, sisters, and other near loved ones customers.

The identical is accurate for Miguel Tapia, who worked with his loved ones to make a dwell “nacimiento” or nativity scene of Christ’s birth on the back again of their truck, which was a part of the procession on Saturday.