Following the overnight visit of La Virgen de Zapopan on October 29, Ajijic’s month-long devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary culminates on Thursday, October 31, with a series of traditional festivities marking the end of her five-week stay as a guest at the San Andrés parish.
The antique figure of La Virgen del Rosario will be carried through the town atop a flower- and candle-adorned wooden bier. The procession will begin at 5 p.m., departing from the church’s back entrance on Calle Galeana, accompanied by a throng of pilgrims. The event features danzante troupes in vibrant indigenous costumes, decorative floats, a drum and bugle corps, marching bands, and devoted villagers. Skyrockets will be fired at intervals, signaling the parade’s progress.
The route will circle back to the San Andrés atrium, where a farewell Mass will be held. After the service, the Virgin will be carried around the plaza before returning to her home chapel. The night will continue with festivities, ending with a dazzling Castillo fireworks display outside the chapel gate.
The Virgin Mary is regarded as Ajijic’s spiritual founder. Franciscan missionaries, who introduced Christianity to the area around 1530, dedicated a shrine to the Virgin between Ajijic and San Juan Cosalá. This later led to the construction of La Capilla del Rosario, the small stone chapel at the northwest corner of the plaza, which predates the main church.
The chapel was closed for about five years due to severe structural damage, and the Virgen del Rosario temporarily resided at San Andrés until restoration was completed in April.