One of the largest displays occurs in the Coachella Valley, as thousands of Catholics carry signs, rosaries, statues and images on a 30-mile procession from Palm Springs to Coachella that takes about 12 hours.
For Claudia Armenta, an Aztec dancer who performs throughout the pilgrimage each year, the annual sacrifice is a way of expressing her Catholic faith.
“It was emotional for me to make it to the end, dancing for our mother across all those miles,” said Armenta, a member of the Danza Azteca Citlaltonac that danced throughout the day.
Her devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe inspired her to reconnect with her roots and express her faith through dance. The Aztec dance group visited several parishes throughout the night before the walk. They continued on Dec. 12 walking and dancing along with the thousands others on the walk.
Armenta said she offered her dancing as a prayer for an end to the violence plaguing Mexico and Central America.
“Although, I have several cuts and blisters on my feet, it hurts to walk, sit down and get up, I did it for world peace, especially for the Ayotzinapa massacre of 43 students in Mexico,” Armenta said.
The occasional rain didn’t deter the thousands of faithful who joined in the pilgrimage. Organizers expected about 15,000 residents to participate throughout the day.
“This is a blessed devotion that unites us with more fervor to God through his mother, the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe,” said Martha Hays a Coachella resident on Facebook after participating in the pilgrimage.
At the end of the walk, the faithful gathered for an outdoor Mass in Coachella celebrated by Bishop Gerald Barnes.
At St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish, Desert Hot Springs, the parish held its annual Guadalupe Pilgrim Walk and Festival on the weekend before the Feast Day.
The day included music, Aztec dance performances, recitations of the Rosary, and a variety of food vendors following the Mass.
“It’s an opportunity to evangelize people,” said Father Dennis Legaspi, Vicar Forane of the Low Desert Vicariate and pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish. “During the procession many people come up and ask what this is about. They even join in the walk.”