JUBILANT RETURN After two years of cancellations due to COVID-19, large processions in our Diocese in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe returned this year, including one up Riverside’s Mt. Rubidoux on Dec. 3 (pictured) and one in the Coachella Valley on Dec. 12.
By Rubén Barrón
RIVERSIDE/COACHELLA VALLEY—This year marked the joyous return of two large processions in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one in Riverside and one in the Coachella Valley, much-loved annual traditions that were put on hold for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The procession in Riverside, called “El Camino de San Juan Diego,” took participants on a nearly four-mile walk from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the top of Mt. Rubidoux, where Mass was celebrated. The Dec. 3 procession has occurred annually (excluding 2020 and 2021) for over 20 years.
“The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been a tradition of our faith for almost five centuries and it’s part of who we are as Catholics,” said Bishop Alberto Rojas, who attended the Mt. Rubidoux procession for the first time this year. He walked the entire procession and celebrated the bilingual Mass on Mt. Rubidoux.
“We believe in the Communion of Saints, and when we talk about the intercession of the Saints, Our Lady of Guadalupe is number one in that regard, especially here in the Western World. I’m grateful that we can come out in large groups and do it as we have done in the past. It’s a great blessing,” the Bishop added.
A group of men nicknamed the “Juan Diegos” are in charge of organizing and carrying out the Mt. Rubidoux procession. The group is responsible for all aspects of the event, including acquiring permits to bring the large group through downtown Riverside and raising the necessary funds. The coordinator this year was Alejandro Carrillo, who has participated in the pilgrimage for almost 15 years.
It was the second time that he has coordinated the event and although it required time and attention as well as several challenges, he says that he found the experience rewarding. He was pleased to receive the necessary cooperation and support from the people, who he says were “motivated and enthusiastic.”
This year’s sub-coordinator and previous coordinator, Jorge Peña, said he noticed the mood of the community had changed, from sadness that the event was put on hold the last few years to joy at its return. “People are happy, they want to participate. There is a lot of encouragement, joy, and faith,” he said.
Although the pilgrimage required three intense months of organization, clarity of purpose keeps Peña grounded. “Everything we do is done from the heart because we do it to honor and testify to our Catholic faith. The Virgin is the greatest intercessor for our faith in the Savior,” he said.
“The procession is a testimony of the strong faith that Mexican people have in the Virgin, and even though we are far from Mexico, we maintain the holy tradition,” added Peña.
For Father Daniel Prado-Reyes, O.de M., the Shrine’s pastor, this year was his first opportunity to take part in the pilgrimage. He experienced the challenges of organizing a procession that requires collaboration among various entities.
“This year, many obstacles were thrown at us. At one point we understood that the hill was not available, that it was now private property. Questions about paying for parking also arose,” he said. However, Fr. Prado-Reyes and the two event coordinators had faith that solutions would be found, and they were. “Through dialogue, the problems were resolved, thank God,” adds Fr. Prado-Reyes.
The joyful procession must be extremely well-organized as it travels through busy streets and natural landscapes. The mood was light with prayers, music and dance. The peaceful hill, covered in cacti and rocks, is reminiscent of Tepeyac, where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego on four occasions.
Peña estimates that a few thousand people joined the procession, including some from neighboring cities. Among them are children who are too young to walk and the elderly, as well as people who help both groups along the way. The camaraderie among the people creates a spiritual mood that unites everyone on the holy journey.
A man named Luis, from Ontario, has been making the pilgrimage for years dressed as Juan Diego and walking barefoot. “My father taught me from a young age to believe in Christ, in the Virgin, and in God, and I promised my mother that as long as I could, I would come to see the Virgin. I do it every year,” he said.
For Esther Berna from Riverside, this was her first time making the pilgrimage. “As a Catholic, I have a great love for the Virgin, and I wanted to be here, praying with the community in this small version of pilgrimage in the Holy Land,” said Berna.
Another participant was JohnPaul De Santos, a 14-year-old boy who woke up early to make the trip from Orange County. He was impressed by what he called the “joy and tranquility of the people and the love for their heavenly mother.”
The second of the Diocese’s large processions took place in the Coachella Valley on Dec. 12. This procession is much longer, so much so that it is also called a pilgrimage. It traditionally begins in Palm Springs in the parish of Our Lady of Solitude, passing through eight cities and concluding in the parish of Our Lady of Soledad in Coachella, a journey of 33 miles. The pilgrimage has a rich 40-year history with the participation of several parishes.
Sonia González is the coordinator and president of the committee that organized the procession this year. She says people were hungry to resume the pilgrimage and to express their deep devotion to the Virgin. “We are moved by faith, and love for our mother, the mother of Jesus, the Savior,” she said.
The day began with the traditional mananitas and Mass at 4 a.m. The pilgrimage started around 6 a.m. Some 2,500 people began the walk, but more gradually joined as it got closer to the end of the journey, which she said culminates with about 22,000 pilgrims. The pilgrims arrived at their destination 12 hours after they began, where they receive a blessing and some much needed rest.
This year, fewer parishes (only five) participated, not for lack of interest, but because COVID continues to make fundraising difficult. This year they sold raffle tickets instead of selling food to raise funds, which led to difficulties raising enough money for the pilgrimage. Gonzalez said that the costs are vast, as they have to provide security and proper facilities for the pilgrims.
Despite the hurdles, Gonzalez said people were excited to join the pilgrimage this year, after the two-year hiatus.
While the processions in Riverside and the Coachella Valley may be the largest in the Diocese, Petra Alexander, Director of the Office of Hispanic Affairs, emphasizes that the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is an important celebration honored in every parish in the Diocese.
“In our Diocese, there is no single diocesan celebration; there are 86 parishes where there is a Hispanic community. In all the parishes, no matter how small they may be, the Virgin Mary’s children awaken her with songs, bring her roses, and participate in Mass, reenacting the apparition, dancing and expressing their joy,” she said.
“The Virgin Mary is a companion, protector, comforter, a hope or a lap to which one can return for refreshment again and again. In addition to counting on the loving presence of the Virgin, the people come to her as they see themselves. They go to her with the knowledge of being poor, needy or fearful but never alone,” she said.
Dr. Rubén Barrón is a Catholic spiritual director and freelance writer based in Yorba Linda.