DC archdiocese to host annual ‘Walk with Mary’ procession for Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Thousands of Catholics are expected to join in a procession this weekend in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the nation’s capital, according to a press release from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. 

The annual “Walk with Mary” pilgrimage begins at 11 a.m. ET Dec. 13 with a procession at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart that will end at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. At the basilica, the faithful will pray a multilingual rosary, and then Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., will celebrate Mass. Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjívar will give the homily. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., and auxiliary Bishops Juan Esposito and Roy Campbell Jr., will concelebrate. 

According to the archdiocese, “This year’s celebration will highlight a call to accompany and pray for migrants and refugees, reflecting the Church’s mission of compassion, solidarity, hope and peace.”

In previous years, the pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is the Patroness of the Americas, has included a hand-embroidered tilma resembling the one worn by Saint Juan Diego. 

“The apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego impacted the history of our continent in significant ways,” the archdiocese states. “For centuries the miraculous image of Our Mother has called Catholics back to the faith and moved others to embrace the faith.”

“Today, Our Lady continues to empower our evangelization efforts with her constant proclamation of the Gospel,” the archdiocese adds. “Most importantly, as the Patroness of the Americas and the Star of the First and New Evangelization, she calls us to encounter and accompany the stranger in our midst.”

More information about the pilgrimage is available here.