More than 1,000 Catholics from around San Diego joined together in the North Park neighborhood on Sunday for the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe procession, an event meant to foster unity and hope among the community.
The procession which honored Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and the Americas featured more than 70 Aztec dancers, over 20 floats, and members from 25 local parishes and Catholic groups. The event is part of the feast day celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe, celebrated each year on Dec. 12.
There are 1.4 million Catholics living in San Diego and Imperial counties, the majority of which around 60% have Latino roots.
This year, members from other cultural groups, including the region s Catholic Filipino community, also participated in the procession.
Most Hispanics in this area are from Mexico originally, but we have many different countries represented here, said Cardinal Robert McElroy, who leads the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. It s a sign that not only the Hispanic community here but the community as a whole is a tapestry of diverse cultures.
One of my prouder moments in my career as a wit came when I asked a former colleague, as she looked on in horror at the Lady of Guadalupe parade we used to have at my somewhat Catholic university, “What, you didn’t have this at Princeton?” Nobody but me seemed to think this was funny, but it was in fact hilarious.
