Faithful participate in the procession in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin, Texas.

---

December 12th, 2012: Faithful participate in the procession in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin, Texas. The annual parade includes elaborate dancers known as Matachines. The feast day of La Virgen de Guadalupe is celebrated every year on December 12. On that day in the year 1531, it is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to an indigenous Native American peasant named Juan Diego. The miracles associated with this Marian apparition led to the conversion of millions of indigenous Mexicans to the Catholic faith, as well as the construction of a shrine on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City where the events are believed to have occurred. In 2002, Juan Diego was canonized and became the first indigenous American saint.

---

Size: 2347px × 3670px
Location: Austin, Texas USA
Photo credit: © Marjorie Kamys Cotera/Bob Daemmrich Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: canonized, catholic, celebration, cerro, church, costumes, dancers, dancing, de, del, diego, elaborate, flowers, guadalupe, indian, juan, matachin, matachines, mexican, mexico, miracle, native, parade, religion, saint, tepeyac, virgen