Pilgrims Stay Home

Yesterday was the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint.  Normally pilgrims from all over Mexico and beyond would be flocking to the basilica on the north side of Mexico City near the site where the Virgin supposed appeared to the peasant Juan Diego in 1531.  Basilica is second only to St. Peter's in Rome as a Catholic pilgrimage destination. 

The new basilica, built in 1976 replaced the 18th century church. (The old basilica still stands and is just out of view to the right in this photo.)  Both shrines face a vast paved atrium.  

Normally the basilica, which can accommodate 10,000 people would be packed, and the enormous atrium in front would be jammed with more pilgrims.  Last December an estimated ten million people came to Mexico City.

But this has not been a normal year.  Mexico City has been hard hit by the pandemic.  One can imagine the catastrophic results if throngs of people crowded the basilica for the masses which are normally held continuously. Imagine how many pilgrims would carry the virus home to their villages.  The Archdiocese and the city officials announced that the entire basilica complex would be closed from December 10th through the 14th.  Streets leading to the basilica have also been closed.  Roadblocks were set up on the highways leading into the city, and pilgrims arriving by bus, truck, bicycle or on foot were turned away.  The atrium, normally be packed with worshippers, instead was covered with tens of thousands of candles.  Virtual observances were televised nationally with mariachis singing "Las Mañanitas", the Mexican birthday song, in honor of the Virgin, and a mass celebrated in the empty basilica.

Alejandro does not live far from the basilica and is near one of the major roads leading to the shrine.  He said that this year he saw very few pilgrims and heard fewer of the usually incessant firecrackers which are set off on feast days.  He told me of one disturbing incident that was reported on the news.  One man in a car plow through a roadblock near the basilica, and ran over two policemen.  The driver escaped, and the policemen were taken to the hospital.  As of last night Alejandro had heard no further reports on the incident.  If that driver's intent was to visit the shrine, he certainly is a sorry excuse for a pilgrim!