San Juan de los Lagos Annual Pilgrimage

Contrary to U.S. media coverage regarding violence in Mexico, it is not only safer than the U.S. but a rich culture is alive and vibrant. Each year 100,000s of pilgrims trudge the beaten paths through corn fields, dry riverbeds, and stoned pathways to reach La Iglesia de Santa Juan, a sacred church in the state of Jalisco where miracles happen.

The first miracle occurred in 1623 when a young girl died and was taken to this church. The nun laid a decaying, carved image of Santa Juana upon the dead child and she miraculously lived. Many people say, Santa Juana is Mother Mary's sister and others believe all images of Mary are ONE, including Santa Juana.

It is a serious pilgrimage and yet it is filled with laughter and merrymaking along the way. Men dressed as women seductively prance, shaking large breast, tribal groups perform ancient dances. Precious, carved images of Virgin de Guadalupe, Santa Juana and Jesus are carefully carried until the church is reached. It is also a pilgrimage of hope, love and the sharing of food with those who have none.

Finally upon arrival, the voices heard from the church's loud speaker pray for the sick, the dying, and the working immigrants in the United Sates, hundreds of names are read one by one, en Estado Unidos, en Estado Unidos. The pain is felt for families that are separated in order to meet their basic needs. The ones that have braved crossing the border are heroes, not criminals.

This year, Lupe and I joined her large extended family for the pilgrimage. I have been living part time in San Miguel de Allende for many years and finally I feel like I belong to the local community and not only to the ex-pat community. This makes me very happy. Lupe's families' kindness brought me to tears many times. We walked, slept, prayed, sang, and ate and at the end of the nine day journey we too asked for miracles.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• pilgrimage
• mexico
• spiritual
• local community
• peligrinos
• san miguel de allende

[letty2780]

de donde es esta peregrinacion

[onestepworld]

San Juan de los Lagos en Jalisco, MX

[yourgayimnot123123]

IS THIS SAN JUAN DE LOS LAGOS, JALISCO?

[onestepworld]

Yes, this is San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco

[TONYCAMARENA]

I walked the pilgrimage in honor of my dad, he did it for 40 years because he made a promise. We walked from Penjamo Guanajuato to San Juan de Los Lagos. It took us three days to walk 80 miles. it kiced my ass. My feet and calfs wee swollen for about 3 weeks

[onestepworld]

Congratulations! That is great that you walked it to honor your Dad. The family I went with walked 9 days I joined them on day 5.

[aryamzepol]

GREAT JOB WITH THIS  VIDEO I LIKE HOW YOU GIVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORY OF SAN JUAN. YOUR DAD SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOU.

[vaketongas]

escriban en español pinches nopalotes

[paolusstefan]

no eso todavia no es san juan

[onestepworld]

This is the day before reaching San Juan as the pilgrims arrived in this small town. Not sure what the name of the town was.

[onestepworld]

yes, you can read about it on the right hand side of the screen.