MEXICO CITY (Zenit.org).- More than 6.1 million pilgrims visited the Basilica of Guadalupe on Friday and Saturday (Dec 11-12) to mark the 478th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin to Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac, according to the official figures made public Saturday night.
The figure breaks the historic attendance record set in 2008 when just over 6 million pilgrims visited the shrine last year on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, considered the most important day in the religious calendar for Mexicans.
A recent survey showed that one out of every four Mexicans say they have received a favor or miracle through the intercession of the Virgin, who is patron of the Americas.
Pilgrimages from all corners of Mexico, some from Central America and others from the United States, joined the celebration that included native dances, pre-Hispanic rituals and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims approaching the basilica on their knees.
The shrine houses the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that appeared miraculously on the cloak of Juan Diego on Dec. 12, 1531. Pope John Paul II canonized St. Juan Diego on July 31, 2002.
Early Saturday morning more than a million people gathered in the basilica and courtyard of the shrine to sing the "Mananitas," the traditional Mexican song sung for birthdays or name days. The song was repeated in virtually all the churches of the country, as Dec. 12 is a holy day of obligation in Mexico.
Mexicans living in the United States gathered in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and to receive the Guadalupe Torch that left Tepeyac in October.
The celebration, which has taken place at the cathedral since 2002, gathers the Hispanic community in the United States. Each year, a torch travels north to the United States until it arrives in the heart of Manhattan, having been carried by 25,000 porters.
The objective of the Guadalupe Torch is to call attention to the need for an integral reform of the U.S. immigration system, as well as for the reinforcement of the bonds of friendship between Mexico and the United States.
This year's Guadalupe celebration at St. Patrick's was the first for Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. He concelebrated the Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Josu Iriondo, vicar for Hispanic Affairs for the Archdiocese of New York.
The figure breaks the historic attendance record set in 2008 when just over 6 million pilgrims visited the shrine last year on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, considered the most important day in the religious calendar for Mexicans.
A recent survey showed that one out of every four Mexicans say they have received a favor or miracle through the intercession of the Virgin, who is patron of the Americas.
Pilgrimages from all corners of Mexico, some from Central America and others from the United States, joined the celebration that included native dances, pre-Hispanic rituals and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims approaching the basilica on their knees.
The shrine houses the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that appeared miraculously on the cloak of Juan Diego on Dec. 12, 1531. Pope John Paul II canonized St. Juan Diego on July 31, 2002.
Early Saturday morning more than a million people gathered in the basilica and courtyard of the shrine to sing the "Mananitas," the traditional Mexican song sung for birthdays or name days. The song was repeated in virtually all the churches of the country, as Dec. 12 is a holy day of obligation in Mexico.
Mexicans living in the United States gathered in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and to receive the Guadalupe Torch that left Tepeyac in October.
The celebration, which has taken place at the cathedral since 2002, gathers the Hispanic community in the United States. Each year, a torch travels north to the United States until it arrives in the heart of Manhattan, having been carried by 25,000 porters.
The objective of the Guadalupe Torch is to call attention to the need for an integral reform of the U.S. immigration system, as well as for the reinforcement of the bonds of friendship between Mexico and the United States.
This year's Guadalupe celebration at St. Patrick's was the first for Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. He concelebrated the Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Josu Iriondo, vicar for Hispanic Affairs for the Archdiocese of New York.
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