Walking for the women and children of Mexico
by Joseph Dispenza
You don�t have to be Shirley Maclaine to go on a pilgrimage: Mexico has several versions of Spain�s famed El Camino to the shrine of Santiago at Campostela.
One of them is in San Miguel�s own backyard, relatively speaking.
In January, some hardy souls will take to the road for three days on behalf of CASA (Centro para los Adolescentes de San Miguel de Allende). The organization is dedicated to combat and prevent domestic violence against women and children.
For more than 100 years, an annual pilgrimage has drawn people throughout Mexico to the Basilica of the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos in the state of Jalisco. They merge into streams of hundreds of thousands of marchers who believe the small statue there works miracles.
In late January, between 4000 and 5000 pilgrims will leave San Miguel de Allende to walk the 270 km (168 miles) for the nine�day pilgrimage �� arriving in San Juan de Los Lagos on the February 2. It is a colorful and moving sight.
Participants in the San Miguel Walk Program for CASA will join these thousands of pilgrims for only three of the nine days �- but the emotional surge from the experience promises to be just as heightened. For these brave adventurers, the three�day pilgrimage will be a once in a lifetime spiritual event.
The yearly pilgrimage always takes place at the same time, during Candelaria (January 26 through February 2), a week of fervent religious activity that traditionally heralds the beginning of the spring planting season. From the centuries�old agricultural practice of planting corn, to the modern day activity of renewing one�s flower pots and patios, this tradition is perpetuated in Parque Juarez, where a glorious array of colors, shapes, and scents from nurseries throughout the region cover the landscape in a splendid profusion of flowers and plants.
About the three�day pilgrimage: it�s a 55 mile trek to the basilica, including two nights of wilderness camping without bathrooms or showers. The elevation is around 6500 feet, in a high�desert climate. No alcohol or drugs are permitted on the walk. CASA provides hot meals, water, and tents.
Since 1982, CASA has implemented programs throughout Mexico, in conjunction with the World Health Organization, to combat sexual violence and focus on the need for education in raising awareness in schools, rural communities, marginal urban neighborhoods, and elsewhere. These programs reach more than 30,000 people a year through peer counseling. CASA also offers victims of violence legal and psychological assistance and occasionally temporary shelter. Its staff includes a full�time psychologist.
Pilgrims who undertake the San Juan de Los Lagos walk with the CASA group are both spiritual seekers and philanthropists. The pilgrimage is a unique opportunity to be a part of one of Mexico�s richest and most stirring sacred experiences �� and also to be of service to the country�s truly needy.
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