Amidst unstoppable rain and a hit-and-run that left a horse and a man hurt, believers of the Virgin of Guadalupe made their way from downtown Santa Rosa to Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Windsor. Worshippers did their annual walk for the first time following a two-year pause because of the pandemic.
Men and women of all ages walked from 11 p.m. to around 4 a.m. until mass began, many of them with their own virgin figures on their backs. All of them fueled solely by their faith and sustenance such as hot chocolate, pan dulce and tamales from volunteers.
Edith Castro, vineyard worker and Aztec dancer from Mexico City has been involved in the annual march since it began. This Sonoma County tradition was started 20 years ago by a group of 10 people. Slowly, more people joined as the years went by.
The Mexican tradition has been a staple of Catholic culture for centuries. It originated when Juan Diego, a young Indigenous man, walked toward the Hill of Tepeyac on Dec. 12 in 1531 when he was stopped by the appearance of the Virgin Mary.
Castro said the march is organized in an organic way, almost a spur of the moment type of event.
She stressed it is not organized by any church nor is it lucrative, the purpose is to join because of faith. Through social media, she asks people if they would like to join or be volunteers.
“We do not need a plan, it is very natural,” she said in Spanish. Besides being one of the main organizers, she also performs an Aztec dance which is a tradition to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe.
This year, Castro did not expect as many people because of weather conditions and the pandemic. Castro was surprised to see initially around 300 participants.
“People who came despite rain are people who have been coming for years and for them it doesn’t matter if it is cold or hot or if you get wet, it is a sacrifice and it is part of your offering,” she said.
“Maybe you do not offer money but this is what you are offering to say thank you for what the virgin did for you,” Castro said.
At one of their stops at the beginning of Old Redwood Highway where a group of men joined the march with their horses, a man struck a horse with his car. Both the horse rider and the horse are currently stable, but the rider is currently hospitalized. The man behind the hit and run has since been arrested.
Currently, a GoFundMe page is active to support the rider Ignancio Gonzalez’s medical bills.
“After the accident we were around 100 people, it happened around 1:30,” she said.
Castro said in 20 years, an accident of the sort had never happened, but said that, in a way, it showed her how faith strengthens community.
“I did not know what to do after the accident for around five minutes. I did not know whether to cancel it or keep going but I saw people praying and saying how the virgin would protect us and I decided to continue because we need to teach our children that part of our culture is sacrifice. Things are not always going to be easy,” she said.
“Our children are our seeds, they will continue what I am doing. We need to preserve our culture,” Castro said.
She added the purpose of the event is simply part of Catholic religion and it is not meant to be seen as a takeover of society.
“We do not want to overpower, we just do it because it is part of our faith, we do it with respect,” she said.
Celedonio and Maria, Windsor residents, did the walk together. Celedonio has been participating in it for 12 years and Maria for three.
“I have a lot of faith and I am Mexican. I believe in the Virgin of Guadalupe, she is our queen,” Maria said in Spanish.
“We are all here for her, because of our faith,” Celedonio said.
Even though the multitude walked without complaints, a well-deserved break was done around 3 a.m. at a nearby shopping center. Several volunteers offered free coffee, atole, baked goods and more.
Xochitl Hernandez has been a volunteer for six years. Hernandez donates whatever she can to support believers like her.
“We want to give them something hot while they walk in the cold, I imagine if I walked I would be suffering and wanting something hot,” she said in Spanish.
Hernandez also added how important it is to keep the tradition alive because it is a staple of Mexican culture.
“Even though we are far away from our country we need to keep it going, teaching our children,” Hernandez said.
Volunteers were presented with the Virgin of Guadalupe to thank them for their services. Hernandez, tears in her eyes said a prayer as she saw the statue pass by her, asking for help for relatives struggles.
Healdsburg resident Lupe Castaneda has attended three times. Castaneda said it is an indescribable feeling how she feels by her faith. It was not her first time walking through rain but it did not matter to her.
“To me it is about saying thanks. I am glad I was able to come and bring my friend from San Jose, it is truly a blessing,” she said.
