Our Lady of Guadalupe

Got back from the annual candlelight procession for Our Lady of Guadalupe along downtown State Street this evening. It had been raining all day, but the clouds parted for our procession, thanks be to God! Bishop Thomas Curry came out to lead the procession along with several local pastors. It was wonderful to see thousands of Santa Barbarans, primarily Hispanic, turn out to participate in this. It's a powerful witness to the Catholic faith in a city in dire need of grace and reconciliation. It's a humble witness that Our Lady can give for her Son, Our Lord, in obedience to God the Father.

The procession wound up at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church where Bishop Curry led a standing-room-only crowd in prayer. By a merely random circumstance, I was asked to read the reading from Revelation 12 before the assembly. That was certainly a humbling experience.

Maria, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Patrona de las Américas, ora por nosotros.