Our Lady of Victory parishioners make pilgrimage for the Year of the Mercy

Wax figure of St. Jose Luis De Rio.
A group of 30 parishioners, led by Father Luke Thirunelliparambil, made a pilgrimage to Mexico in observance of the Year of Mercy. They were able to go through four Holy Doors for the Year of Mercy on the trip.
 
The first stop was the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Their tour guide took them to all the "special places" at the Basilica and relayed to them the story of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
 
From Mexico City the group went to the city of Sahuayo, Michoacán where St. José Luis Del Rio was born. St. Jose's story was told in the movie "For Greater Glory". He was a martyr at 14-years of age and was canonized in Rome on the same day the group fro Our Lady of Victory visited his hometown.

"We were able to see his relics at the Cathedral of James the Apostle and we followed his bloody footsteps all the way to the grave yard," parishioner Laly Cardenas said. "The natives of Sahuyao were having a big celebration with a banda at the plaza, and lots of other activities."
 
From Sahuyao, the group continued to the town of Pátzcuaro, which means, "gate to paradise". They also visited the Basilica of Santa Clara del Cobre, Our Lady of Copper, where they walked under the cape of Our Lady of Good Health and prayed for intercessions for all their sick relatives and friends.
 
The next day, the group visited the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guanajuato in Guanajuato.