Our Lady of Zapopan visits diocesan parishes

Friday, Jun. 20, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY — During the past six years, the icon of Our Lady of Zapopan, from Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, has visited different parishes and missions throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

This year Our Lady of Zapopan was accompanied by two Franciscan friars from Guadalajara, Mexico.

“I see this pilgrimage as an extension of the missionary life of our founding fathers and of our first evangelizers,” said Franciscan Fray Aureo Armas, who drove from Guadalajara on a pilgrimage with the image of the Virgin.

This image lives at the Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan (the shrine of Zapopan) and is transported in a special van throughout the United States.

The Virgin first came to Utah through the efforts of Nestor Lozano, a parishioner of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale, after he attended a congress in California.

“It was a gathering for ex-gang members and ex-addicts, and the Virgin was a guest there; when she entered the room everyone was very moved so I asked ‘How can we make it possible for her to visit us in Utah?’” said Lozano. 

Through the intercession of Father Andres Casillas, a Franciscan friar who was in charge of the Virgin’s pilgrimage, Our Lady of Zapopan visited Utah for the first time, Lozano said.

This year the image visited nine of the diocese’s parishes and missions.

“I tell all the people that the message is ‘never forget Jesus; always return to the center of our faith, which is Jesus,’” said Fr. Armas, adding that he was very impressed that he heard the confessions of people who hadn’t had the Sacrament of Reconciliation for 20 years but felt compelled by Our Lady to have him hear their confessions.

“When the Virgin enters, Jesus enters; she brings us Jesus, and she asks us to do what he tells us. The slogan of this visit is to do what Jesus wants us to do, to always have him as the center of our lives and realize the importance of Mary in our lives,” said Fr. Armas.

The friar said he was excited to witness how people approached the image and “dusted off their Catholic values. I saw how they were touched and how they treasured the visit and the faith symbols and how they are looking really deeply the Sacraments.”

Our Lady of Zapopan culminated her visit to Utah with a Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.