Rosa sine spina

I'm back from the annual candlelight procession for Our Lady of Guadalupe through downtown State Street in Santa Barbara. Once again, it was quite amazing... I reported on it last year as well. It's just such a powerful witness to see thousands of people from all parts of Santa Barbara filling the streets, with sounds of prayer and song, in English and Spanish, echoing down alleyways and between store fronts. Once again, our regional bishop, Thomas Curry, came out to lead us from De La Guerra plaza up to the church of Our Lady of Sorrows where, for a large church packed with people (I stood), he led us again in prayer in honor of the Patroness of the Americas, the Patroness of the unborn, our Blessed Mother.

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

UPDATE: I found out from Bishop Curry that over 5,000 people turned out for this year's procession.