More than 1,000 people wearing ponchos, carrying flags of Latin American countries, and singing La Guadalupana gathered in front of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 10 to join the Walk with Mary pilgrimage honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe as the patroness of the Americas. 

Starting at Sacred Heart, attendees walked through Columbia Heights to the Brookland neighborhood, ending at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception about two and one-half miles away.

The focus of the procession was “accompanying and praying for the migrant population,” according to the Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, which sponsored the annual event. 

The walk was led by Washington Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville. During various stops along the way, attendees were asked to reflect and pray – at one point, Bishop Dorsonville asked the crowd to walk in silence after hearing readings of Mary’s apparitions to St. Juan Diego in Mexico. 

The majority of the walk included music as parishioners carried an anda of Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe. Andas are heavy wooden platforms that are held on the shoulders of a few people; this one featured a statue of Mary surrounded by flowers.

The story of the final apparition was read on the walk after people arrived at the steps of the basilica, as people heard about St. Juan Diego presenting the image of Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Soon after, hundreds of attendees filled the basilica to pray the rosary together in various languages including Igbo, Creole, Tagalog, Korean, English, and Spanish.

Mass followed the praying of the rosary, kicking off with drums and dancing. Members of the De Colores Mexican Folk Dance Company, dressed in traditional Aztec clothing, performed a ceremonial dance. 

Performer Andres Ramos, whose aunt founded the group in 1996, spoke to the Catholic Standard about how dance and prayer work together in his life. 

“We’re from Mexico City originally, so very devout to the Virgen de Guadalupe…[dancing] is such a beautiful way to present my offerings of my struggles and prayers to the Virgin and to leave it all at her hands and know that she intercedes for me in whatever struggle I’m going through at the moment, that she’s there interceding for me with Jesus Christ,” Ramos said. 

His daughter, who is 10 months old, was also dressed in traditional Aztec clothing. He said when she is able to walk, he will begin to teach her the dances.

“Especially in this environment, in the society that we live in, [it is important] to pass down these traditions that are very strong to our culture, and not just our culture but our faith, I think the transmission of faith in the family is very strong,” Ramos said.

Following the Aztec dancers, a man dressed as St. Juan Diego walked in front of the basilica’s altar and displayed the front of his tilma, or cloak, which had an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and roses fell, reflecting the story of the Miracle of the Roses. 

Sisters Yuliana Reyes Salto, Mara del Carmen Vázquez Partida, and Mara Isabel Garca Arias hand-embroidered the St. Juan Diego tilma replica, which was given as a gift by the sisters of the Convent of the Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. The tilma is expected to visit various parishes in the archdiocese in the new year.

Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory was the principal celebrant for the Mass, and Bishop Dorsonville gave the homily in both English and Spanish. 

Bishop Dorsonville stated during the Spanish portion of his homily that people turn to Mary because they know she is always there to help them.

“We always go to the Virgin because we know that she is always attentive to help us, as in the wedding of Cana. She was always attentive to the needs of human beings. She appeared in 1531 in Tepeyac, Mexico, leaving a mark that has remained intact in our hearts,” Dorsonville said. 

He said that Mary appeared as a native person of Mexico in her image on the tilma of St. Juan Diego, the patron saint of indigenous peoples of the Americas.

“She unites her life and her heart to our simple and humble people, demonstrating her presence among us so that when we contemplate her, we all hear her message, ‘Am I not here, who am your mother?’ The Virgin of Guadalupe, she always goes out to meet all those who need her most and continues walking with all of us,” Bishop Dorsonville said. 

In English, the bishop expressed his gratitude to those in attendance who do not speak Spanish. 

“You are here because of the universal nature of the Church which Christ himself established as a home for all people, a home with open doors, to be a family among families. When we journey together in celebration of the Eucharist, we enter into an encounter with the Lord and each other through which we experience a powerful, transcendent fraternity,” Bishop Dorsonville said. 

Alfonso Quiñones, Guatemala’s ambassador to the United States, participated in the Walk with Mary and attended the Mass. Quiñones, who grew up Catholic and has continued to practice his faith, said it was important for him to attend this event and walk with other Catholics. This interview was translated from Spanish to English.

“There are many reasons. One is personal, because we are devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe, she has done special favors for us. But on the other hand, it is also an issue with the Latino community and the Guatemalan community, which is a very large community here in the United States and in the Washington area. So in my responsibility as ambassador, since the immigration issue, the issue of outreach to the community, is so important, I also participated in this opportunity for that reason,” Quiñones said. 

He also described how his faith influences his job as ambassador.

“I think it is important, although obviously there is a separation between state and church, but there are certain values and certain principles that should always inspire and guide one in their work and in their life. And those Catholic values and principles are very important and have guided me both in my life and in my professional work,” Quiñones said. 

During the colonial era, Catholicism was the official religion of Guatemala, and it is still the most widely practiced faith in the nation today.

“The fact that the government that I represent, the government of Guatemala, is a conservative government, it has also helped me to express my values and my Catholic principles in my work management. And I will give you examples: Guatemala is a pro-life country. In fact, Guatemala City was declared the pro-life capital of Ibero-America, and that has allowed me to be very frank and very open on this issue, which is a controversial issue. But for me, as a representative of a country, which is a Christian country in general, not only Catholic, but Christian in its vast majority that practices its faith and also believes in these values and principles, representation has made it easier for me,” Quiñones said. 

Quiñones stated that due to the nature of his employment, he would like to continue attending events like the Walk with Mary even after he ultimately moves out of Washington, D.C.

“I believe that the participation of all the Catholic parishioners in these activities is important. The walks from their parishes and also coming here with the faith that characterizes the Catholic people, especially the Latin American people in this city. We love sharing, we love coming to this activity and when we leave Washington we will miss it very much, but we will surely continue doing it wherever we are assigned,” Quiñones said.