With great devotion and amid heartfelt musical notes, a human sea enthusiastically accompanies the image of
in his first procession on Saturday —after two years of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following a brief ceremony —led by Monsignor Guillermo Elias— at the Sanctuary and Monastery of Las Nazarenas in Downtown Lima, the temple doors on Tacna Avenue opened at noon to start the long-awaited procession of the holy image.
Crowded with worshipers, Emancipacion Avenue wore a dim purple color due to a large number of faithful with the traditional outfit of that color, which identifies devotion to the Christ of Pachacamilla.
Surrounded by the singing of incense burners, the image moves to the applause of those who follow it on foot, as well as those who watch it from balconies and rooftops, where they had prepared small tributes for the Lord.
The platform is carried with great devotion by 36 members of the Lord of Miracles Brotherhood.
"Thank you, Lord" and "Long live Lord of Miracles" are the most heard phrases during this first procession of the Christ of Pachacamilla, whose image was kept in storage for at least two years due to the public health measures implemented with the hope of avoiding the increase in COVID-19 cases.
During this time, many worshipers visited the facade of the Monastery, where the sacred image is kept, in search of a miracle —especially of a medical nature because of the large number people who had become sick from SARS-CoV-2.
Hand-in-hand with a detailed care plan for the faithful who join the latest procession, believers have turned to the streets to welcome the Lord of Miracles and thank him for the health and lives of their loved ones, as well as to honor the memory of those who had left them early due to the pandemic.
Today, the image goes through Emancipacion Avenue, as well as Chancay and Conde de Superunda Streets.
Lastly, it will return to the Sanctuary of the Nazarenas at around 7:00 p.m. (local time).
The remaining processions are scheduled for October 18th, 19th, and 28th. The last event is planned for November 1st.
About Lord of Miracles
Known as the Christ of Pachacamilla, Lord of Miracles constitutes Peru's most heavily attended religious festivity and is celebrated by all strata of society in homage to the Crucified Christ.
This image is a replica of a centuries-old mural of the crucifixion painted by a slave in the 17th century.
The Lord of Miracles became a motive for worship after the wall on which it was painted miraculously survived a destructive earthquake unscathed.