Prayers to ‘La Virgen’ Are Often Personal, Sometimes Political

*Everyone prays according to their hearts and concerns. Are you a Guadalupe devotee? I’m in a process of discovery, my prayer was for understanding. What was your prayer? VL

new american mediaBy Daniel Jimenez and Amber Anaya, New America Media

For millions of Mexicans and Mexican Americans, December 12 marks one of the most important religious and cultural holidays of the year: El Dia de La Virgen de Guadalupe, or in English, The Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Last year, reporters from South Kern Sol, a youth-led community news outlet established by New America Media, attended the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration in the City of Taft, Calif., where they asked residents what they were praying for. Then, the resounding theme was immigration reform. [To read that article and learn more about the origins of Our Lady of Guadalupe, click here.]

This year South Kern Sol reporter Daniel Jimenez did something similar, joining a procession of devotees in Bakerfield, Calif., who despite the rain and cold temperatures came out to honor “La Virgen Morena,” as she is sometimes also called. Again, the faithful were asked to share why La Virgen is so important to them, and what they are praying to her for in 2015:

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“For me Our Lady of Guadalupe is important, that’s why I bring her flowers… I like to thank her for giving me a job, and good health. I also thank her for my pregnant wife and future son, Michelangelo, who is going to be born in January. For next year, my petition is the same: health for my family, and continued employment.”
— Fermin Atilano

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“La Virgen is our mother, she is our queen, and we have so much faith in her. My petition is for her to help me bring back my sister who is in Mexico so she can reunite with all her family. It has been four years since I last saw my sister.”
— Monica Reyes

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“There were times when I felt different, [when] most people didn’t understand me, and I didn’t have a lot of friends. However, there was one friend who I could always count on, and who I knew would understand me and not judge me. When I feel alone, I speak to my ‘virgencita morena…’ This year, La Virgen has done a lot for me. I do beauty pageants — this year was my third year participating in Miss California, and I made it to the top ten. I couldn’t thank her enough. I hope to be able to win miss California next time.”
— Izamar Olaguez

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“Our Lady of Guadalupe means a lot to me. I’m very thankful to La Virgen because she cured my wife when she was very ill — I thought she was going to pass away. My petition to La Virgen is for my wife to continue having good health and for the well being of the rest of my loved ones.”
— Joel Gonzalez

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“La Virgen is important to me because my family taught me she is the mother of us all. My prayer to her is to help me graduate from high school.”
–Rigoberto Retano

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“Our Lady of Guadalupe, she is everything to me. She gave me a miracle when my twins were born. They were born when they were only 6 ½ months; the doctors told me that they were not going to make it. I prayed to La Virgen, I prayed so much to her, and look at them now, here they are. For next year, my petition is stop the war in Mexico. There has been a lot of killings. I hope that ends.”
— Rosa Tovar

Meanwhile, about 200 miles south of Bakersfield, another youth-led news outlet founded by NAM,Coachella Unincorporated, covered the Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day in the small agricultural town of Thermal. In a region where farmworkers and their families have been involved in long struggles for clean water and adequate living conditions, the festivities took on a more overtly political tone.

About 60 residents from the unincorporated communities of the eastern Coachella Valley – from Thermal, Mecca, Coachella and Oasis – gathered on the evening of December 12 at a community center in Thermal for an Our Lady of Guadalupe processional to bring awareness of environmental injustices in their communities.

Students from Desert Mirage High School in Thermal carried signs that read, “Save the Salton Sea,” “We Need More Parks,” and “We Need Clean Water.”

Sister Gabi Williams, who has worked in the eastern Coachella Valley for the last 12 years, said the processional was focused on environmental injustices because those are the most important issues for families living in rural areas of the valley.

“We are supposed to be ‘criadores de creacion,’ (people who care for all life)… We need to care for one another, and we need to care for the environment,” said Williams. “I pray that people step up everywhere so they can make a difference for their neighbors, family and friends. We all are doing a little bit, but it will have a domino effect.”

Coachella Unincorporated editor Amber Amaya spoke to residents on that Friday night and asked why they chose to participate in the processional:

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“I’m here, personally, because I want to make a change in my community. Right now, I’m young and I’m starting out. I’m helping Pueblo Unido (a community organizing group), and right now I’m worried about the Lawson toxic dump site.”
— Maria Mendez

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“I heard about this processional from Pueblo Unido. I live in Oasis and I’ve been wanting to get involved. I heard about the event, and I brought some of the students I work with (at) FIELD, a program that offers ESL classes. I think all the issues are interconnected; for us to want clean water, we also need to demand clean air and parks, even schools.”
– Wendy Valdez

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“I’m here for the community, and because I believe in God. I care about parks because we need more space; because everything is crowded here with all the cars. We also need more parking spots.”
— Mikey Bautista

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“I’m marching today because I’m here to serve the community. I want to help save the Salton Sea because it’s so messy and ugly.”
— Martha Rodriguez

This article was originally published in New America Media.

Photo courtesy of New America Media]

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