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Immaculate Conception Church
P.O. Box 108
Gregory, TX 78359
ph: 361-643-4505
fax: 361-643-1509
iccgrego
Pilgrimage
Visit the Holy Sites in and around Guadalajara and Guanajuato, México
MEXICO Pigrimage 2008
First. We will depart from Immaculate Conception Church in Gregory, Texas at 9:30 a.m. Next arrive at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Corpus Christi at 10:30 a.m. In Robstown, we will depart from St. Anthony's at 11:30 a.m. At 12:30, we will pick up the pilgrims of Alice, Texas. In Freer, we will welcome the St. Mary's parishioners at 1:30 to depart to the magnificant land which is Mexico.
1st Stop. Fresnillo, Zacatecas is connected with Plateros, a central church which attracts many devouted followers to the area. The church was built in the late 1690s in commemoration of Spanish miners finding a miraculous silver crucifix. The crucifix appeared in a wooden crate without knowledge of its creation. Spiritual devotion and respect resulted in the cross-Atlantic travel of a statue of the Our Lady of Atocha. The statue has the Virgin Mary carrying an infant Jesus in her arms. This infant statue became known as the Holy Child of Atocha (el Santo Nino de Atocha). Many miracles result from the devout prayer to el Santo Nino de Atocha. Those who truly believe that the Child Jesus worked in their favor will often bring back a gift in gratitude. In 1883, a separate shrine was constructed to house the various gifts followers brought back to him.
2nd Stop. Guadalajara Cathedral took about 30 years to build and was completed in 1618 and dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The current towers were replaced in the 1854 with the spires you see today, after an earthquake destroyed the originals in 1818. The cathedrals architecture is an eclectic mix of gothic, neoclassical and palladian architecture. The Cathedral has 10 silver & gold altars which were gifts from King Fernando VII of Spain to thank Guadalajara for its support in his kingdom's participation of the 1803-1815 wars against Napoleon Bonaparte's empire.3rd Stop. The Templo Expiatorio is one of the most beautiful and imposing gothic styled Church in the city. The Templo Expiatorio commenced in 1897 by Italian architect Adamo Boari, who is celebrated for the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City; It was not until 1931 that it was consecrated. The imposing Italian neo-gothic façade is made of stone and, just as in the Middle Ages, no cement or iron was used in its construction. The bells, accompanied by a mechanical procession of the Twelve Apostles, toll daily, at 9 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m., at the time the Angelus is prayed.4th Stop. The second most visited Marian shrine in Mexico is in the small town of San Juan de los Lagos. The sanctuary's history begins in 1542 when Father Miguel de Bologna, a Spanish priest, brought a statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception to the village. The town was then called San Juan Mezquititlan Baptist but its name was changed to San Juan de Los Lagos in 1623. In that year the daughter of native peasants fell ill, her parents prayed for her health, and the young girl recovered. Following this miracle, the statue began to be venerated by an increasing number of pilgrims including Indians, Spanish and mestizos. During this period the statue acquired its own local identity as Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos.5th Stop. The name Guanajuato means "Place of Frogs" and as a frog is nestled in the ground so is the city nestled in the mountain's edge. We will visit a 75 ft. image of Christ the King. The statue was built by the Cristeros, a peasant army which defended the Faith and in the words of former President Vicente Fox, the shrine is a "rebuke to the repressors of religious freedom" who sought to quash the Church during the persecution in the first half of the 20th century. We will see the Teatro Juárez which faces the main plaza of downtown Guanajuato, el Jardín de la Unión. In the afternoon we will visit the Mummy Museum where there is a number of naturally mummified bodies interred during a cholera outbreak in 1833.6th Stop. Tour San Miguel de Allende! Known as the Mexican Hill Town, San Miguel is so cosmopolitan and picturesque and the climate so divine that it has become an artists' and retirees' mecca. The magnificent Gothic style pink cantera stone Cathedral, landmark of San Miguel, is the focal point of the downtown area and our hotel is right across the jardin (the town square). At every turn the many flower filled patios, the quaint shops and bubbling fountains will delight you. The historic center in the downtown area has kept the facades of the buildings just as they were in Colonial times.Ultimately. Homeward bound through Concepcion de Oro and Saltillo Continue through Monterrey crossing the border at Laredo with so many fun filled memories of colonial Guadalajara, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Zacatecas & San Juan de los Lagos! Return to your peaceful home early Saturday morning with many memories to cherish!
P.O. Box 108
Gregory, TX 78359
ph: 361-643-4505
fax: 361-643-1509
iccgrego
