Chapala will welcome the beloved Virgen de Zapopan on Sunday, July 14 for a two-day visit that will be enveloped in colorful fanfare and religious fervor.
The diminutive figure of the Virgin of Expectation Mary – revered as a divine patroness of Lake Chapala – is scheduled for arrival at the north end of Avenida Madero at 11 a.m., where she will be transferred to a motorized float and hooked up with the huge entourage of faithful followers joining a procession to the San Francisco parish.
The religious cavalcade will include 20 troupes of costumed ritual dancers, motorcycle and bicycle contingents, marching bands and platoons of uniformed guardians that will break up formation outside the church just prior to a celebration of the mass officiated by Cardinal Jose Francisco Robles.
Immediately following the service, the regally attired Queen of the Lake will be paraded along the waterfront to the foot of the pier for a blessing over the lake. She will then be carried back to the church for an overnight prayer vigil. Festivities will continue at the atrium throughout the afternoon and evening.
Monday morning, Chapala tourist boat operators will queue up at the end of the pier at 9:30 a.m., offering free passage to local folks who latch on to the Virgin’s customary nautical jaunt to the Isla de Alacranes for a service at the doorsteps of its tiny chapel. Once back on land, additional religious activities will run back to back prior to the icon’s 5 p.m. send-off.