Guadalupe torch run devotion brings hope, unity
LEXINGTON — The annual Guadalupe Torch Run from Mexico to New York made its way through seven parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte in November, with hundreds of people turning out to pray, celebrate and get a glimpse of the revered flame.
The three-month relay runs through dozens of Mexican communities and 14 American states – a 2,500-mile journey with local runners carrying the torch through stretches of their dioceses, making stops at churches for festivities, prayer and Masses.
A symbol of hope and unity across borders, the flame was lit Sept. 2 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and remains burning throughout its journey, which concludes Dec. 12.
The torch crossed into North Carolina Nov. 7 from Simpsonville, S.C., making its first stop in the diocese at the vibrant Charlotte parish that shares the torch’s namesake: Our Lady of Guadalupe. More than 400 parishioners greeted the flame and then gathered for Mass, followed by cultural dances and a feast.
The next day, runners – and sometimes vehicles – carried the torch to St. Francis of Assisi Church, 60 miles northeast in Mocksville, then on Nov. 9 to Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 20 miles east, in Lexington.
“We started the pilgrimage of the torch 23 years ago,” event organizer Lucia Romero told a crowd of 200 gathered in Lexington. “Without a doubt, one of your relatives in Mexico has carried (the torch) in the hope that you will carry it now. …Take the light, hope and faith it brings to us. And please, don’t forget your roots and your families in Mexico.”
Parishioners joyfully greeted the torch outside Our Lady of the Rosary’s parish hall. They formed a procession and followed the flame inside, accompanied by banners and icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary depicted as Our Lady of Guadalupe and the indigenous Mexican man she appeared to in 1531, St. Juan Diego.
Inside the parish hall, Honorina Asencio and Adrian Basilio showed their devotion.
Asencio knelt before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, holding a candle and praying. She wept as she recounted her recovery from an illness that had taken her sight, which she attributes to Our Lady’s intercession.
“I owe a lot to Our Lady,” Asencio said in a trembling voice. “Everything I ask of her, she has granted. … A miracle happened and I was able to see again. I was able to see my five children and two grandchildren. I owe my life to Our Lord and His Blessed Mother.”
Basilio touched his lips and stamped a symbolic kiss on the image. “I have made many mistakes in life,” he said, “but thanks to the help of my wife, (Graciela Santos), she brought me to Our Mother, she put me at the feet of the Blessed Virgin.”
‘Thanks to the strength of God’
Parishioners soon filled the church for Mass. Father Sabastian Umouyo, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, said the torch “brings the light of Christ, brings us great joy. All this is thanks to the strength of God who is always with us. Our Lady and St. Juan Diego, like Christ the King, are with us. … I hope we all keep a torch burning in our hearts.”
After the festivities, people lined the streets near the church and followed in a long caravan of cars and trucks, as dozens of local runners took turns carrying the flame along rural roads. Next stop: Divine Redeemer Church in Boonville, a 45-mile swing back to the northwest.
Moisés Vargas carried the torch on its route to Boonville. He has participated in the torch run for 17 consecutive years, he said, in appreciation for the blessings Our Lady of Guadalupe has helped bring to his life.
“I asked Our Lady to help me make sure my newborn daughter was well and I told her that, while I was in North Carolina, I was going to accompany her on her journey,” Vargas said. “Here I am, fulfilling my promise with faith and love.”
‘She Brings us Peace'
The torch arrived around 7 p.m. at Divine Redeemer Church, where visiting priest Father Nohé Torres, parochial vicar of St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville, along with dozens of parishioners, welcomed the caravan bearing the torch.
Two young people – Fatima Torres and Enrique Patricio, who carried the flame to the parish – presented the torch and icons to Father Torres, asking him and those present to carry the fire with the same love and care with which they had treated it.
Father Torres lit the Paschal candle from the torch and invited everyone to enter the church for Mass.
“From the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, this blessing comes to us,” Father Torres preached during his homily. “She brings us peace, but many times we don’t have peace in our hearts. How can we demand peace if we ourselves don’t have it? Let us sow Mary into our hearts and we will harvest the Lord in our lives.”
After Mass, parishioners celebrated the torch’s arrival with music, traditional folk dances and a generous sharing of popular Mexican dishes and drinks.
Final stop: New York City on Dec. 12
The Guadalupe Torch stayed the night of Nov. 9 in Boonville, then traveled on to St. Mary’s in Greensboro for a day. Then, on Nov. 11, the flame headed for Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point and Our Lady of the Highways Church in Thomasville.
Runners from the neighboring Diocese of Raleigh received the torch on Nov. 12 for their part of the epic relay and Marian devotion.
From North Carolina, the torch headed north with a final destination of Central Park in New York City – appropriately slated for arrival on Dec. 12, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, for one more celebration. Until next year.
— César Hurtado. Photos by César Hurtado
