LAS CRUCES, N.M. — On Thursday, Dec. 11, the annual Pilgrimage to Tortugas Mountain took place. This climb is part of day two of a three-day fiesta celebrating the Lady of Guadalupe.
Each year, hundreds of participants make the pilgrimage as a personal act of devotion to the Lady of Guadalupe. She is one of the central spiritual figures in Hispanic culture and the Catholic faith. The Tortugas Mountains, also known as A-Mountain to many locals, serve both as a sacred location for the church and an important expression of cultural identity to the people of Las Cruces.
Starting at 5 a.m., the candlelight procession from La Casa Del Pueblo to Santuario was conducted at The Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is when the statue of The Lady of Guadalupe is moved from the pueblo, where she was placed the previous night, to the church. The beginning of the seven-mile pilgrimage then takes place.
The seven-mile pilgrimage is a moderate climb that many are able to complete. Climbers vary in all ages, each making the journey at their own pace, with many natural rock formations that allow people to stop and rest as needed.
Climbers reaching the top of the Tortugas Mountain
At the top of the mountain, multiple families stood around fires roasting food and staying warm. The morning is full of different ceremonies, including confessions, Mass, a Rosary and a lighting later on in the evening.
of Holy Cross Retreat (Photo/Adrian Alonzo)
People from all around the world come to participate in this pilgrimage. One of this year’s visitors was Elvira Varela, who has been doing the pilgrimage for the past 35 years. She grew up in Las Cruces but moved to Tucson, Arizona, 20 years ago. Despite the distance, she sees this as an important tradition for her and her family.
“It means everything,” Varela said. “For us, as Hispanics, the Virgin Mary is our savior, our life.”
This pilgrimage is not only about family, but about a devotion of faith for many who make the climb. It acts as both a physical and spiritual journey of faith. To many, it acts as a physical reminder of renewal for a new year.
For Gladys Garcia, this pilgrimage was a calling to her and her faith. Growing up a Jehovah’s Witness, Catholicism was always in her life due to the heavy influence it had on her Hispanic culture. She now wishes to carry this tradition on to her children.
“When I come up here, I come up here making promises, asking either for mercy or for prosperity in the year to come,” Garcia said. “I’ve shown my kids this is something we do. If you’re carrying something heavy in your heart or your chest, this is where you put it down.”
She describes this pilgrimage as a beautiful sacrifice she can make and a way to let go of pieces in her life she wishes not to carry anymore. This tradition brings her peace, knowing her children will have the Virgin Mary to go to in their lives as they grow up.
Many of the people who partake in the climb do so for similar reasons. Atop the mountain is the altar dedicated to the Lady of Guadalupe, where offerings and prayers are made to her.
The Lady of Guadalupe will be placed back at the La Capilla at the Parish Thursday, Jan. 1, completing this year’s fiesta.
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