Hundreds of San Diegans attended this year's procession for Our Lady of Guadalupe in North Park on Sunday. The event featured dozens of Aztec dancers, floats, and colorful banners. The procession began at the corner of Jacaranda Street and Upas Street, and ended at St. Augustine High School where a mass was held.
The tradition has been going strong for 53 years in San Diego, according to Felipe Pulido, an Auxiliary Bishop with the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego.
"My hope is that one day I can see more people from different cultures here coming together and celebrate," said Pulido.
The event honored the Virgin Mary, who is believed to have appeared before a man named Juan Diego in 1531, during a time of great strife.
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"If you remember during that time there was a lot of tension between the European communities who came to Mexico and also the indigenous. She appeared to unify the two communities," said Pulido.
Nearly 500 years later, that message of unity resonates deeply with the people in the procession. While religion plays a big part in celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe, this is also about celebrating Hispanic heritage.
"Our ancestors brought us here. So we kind of follow what they taught us. To always continue with our culture, to not let it go. Of course, little by little it's been getting smaller but we want it to get bigger," said Bertha Olivas, who represents Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in San Diego.
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Dec. 12 marks the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is the Catholic holiday that celebrates the appearance of the Virgin Mary before Juan Diego in the 16th century. According to the story, the Virgin Mary appeared before him four times. On their final meeting, she left an image of herself on his cloak, which is now known as the image Our Lady of Guadalupe.
