On Dec. 11, more than 1,000 Hispanics and other members of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington braved chilly winds and walked alongside the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the annual Walk with Mary procession and Mass to honor the patroness of the Americas for her feast day. Many offered prayerful thanks to Our Lady of Guadalupe for her protection during the COVID-19 pandemic and asked her to intercede on behalf of all immigrant families seeking refuge, peace and safety.

The procession – which was joined by priests, women religious, deacons, seminarians and lay people – departed from the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C., and headed over city streets to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

During the procession, participants sung hymns in honor of the “Empress of the Americas” and said prayers before the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. They asked her to intercede so that the uncertain fate of the estimated 11 million  undocumented immigrants in the United States may soon be resolved and that they may receive the support of people of goodwill.

Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, was the main celebrant at the Mass, and Washington Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville gave the homily. 

Bishop Dorsonville emphasized that the pandemic has revealed the needs of thousands of poor families, the loneliness of the elderly, the indifference of many to the sorrows of the sick, the lack of protection for children, and the marginalization suffered by the homeless.

“We all endure hardships and fear the devastating consequences of the pandemic, but we have also felt the Virgin Mary’s protection. That is why we are gathered here,  to thank her from the bottom of our hearts. It is comforting to know that we are all children of God and that Mary is also our mother, who listens to us, protects us, and intercedes for us before God so that we can live in peace and with dignity,” Bishop Dorsonville said.

He said people should not ignore that today thousands of families are going through very hard times due to uncertainty about the continuity of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) programs, as well as ongoing changes in the requirements to apply for asylum and the tidal wave of deportations.

“It is good to keep the Virgin Mary in our thoughts during difficult moments. It is also good to remind ourselves that Pope Francis has called us to be members of a caring Church, a Church that goes out into the peripheries, the outskirts, in search of our brothers and sisters who are forgotten or marginalized because they do not speak English or do not understand the culture. It is vital to continue praying for the distraught, the displaced refugees, and the underprivileged,” said the bishop.

Bishop Dorsonville concluded his remarks by reminding the faithful that people’s love for God and Our Lady of Guadalupe should compel them to unite around a Church of open doors that is caring, and that advocates for the respect of human dignity.

Delegations from various parishes of the archdiocese participated in the procession, carrying flags, images of our Lady of Guadalupe, and many bouquets of roses to honor Mary, who appeared in 1531 to St. Juan Diego, a native Aztec, on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico.

Every year around her Dec. 12 feast day, faithful from across the archdiocese join the Walk with Mary to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

“It is gratifying to be part of the celebration in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe. At St. Raphael’s Parish (in Rockville, Maryland), many of us prepare to attend the procession with great devotion and affection,” said Rosario Urdaneta, a Venezuelan national.

Rebeca Sifuentes, originally from Mexico, attends Mass at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish in Riverdale Park, Maryland, every week. She noted, “Since my childhood, I learned to love the Virgin of Guadalupe. I remember her at every moment of my life. I always pray to her to protect my family, and today, I accompany her as I do every year. That is a promise I made when I came to live in Maryland.” 

Pedro Bravo, a Peruvian who is a member of St. Andrew Apostle Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland, said devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe is a heritage that belongs to all Americans. “We Hispanics, who are immigrants, have her as our mother, who always gives us comfort, guides us, and lights the path for us that leads us to God,” he said.

Some people joined the Walk with Mary with special prayer intentions. Speaking with emotion, Zoila Fonseca from St. Rose of Lima Parish in Gaithersburg, Maryland, said, “I am happy to be accompanying the Virgin Mary. Due to a congenital disease, I am losing my sight, and doctors have told me that soon I will become blind. But I have come to the basilica to thank her for my life, for my children, and to ask her to perform the miracle of returning the light to my eyes.” 

Before the Mass began, members of the “De Colores” troupe staged an ancestral dance of the Aztec culture in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, with dozens of young people performing traditional dances to show their devotion to her. 

This year, Alison Caballero,13, Fatima Ortega, 15, Briana Hernandez, 15, Diana Morachel, 15, and Aponia Gasca, 15, were part of the first group of dancers who entered the National Shrine wearing a colorful attire of feathers, multicolored necklaces and rattles.  

“We have prepared ourselves physically and spiritually to be dancers for the Virgin. We were all born in the United States, but we attend different parishes in the archdiocese and for several months we have been rehearsing the dances that come from the Aztec culture. We are happy to be part of this beautiful tradition,” said one of the young dancers. 

(Miguel Vivanco is the assistant editor of El Pregonero, the Spanish language newspaper and website of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.)