Chapala’s faithful will salute the city’s spiritual patron, San Francisco de Asís, with nine days of festivities that commence on Friday, September 26, and continue through Saturday, October 4.
Daily devotions dedicated to Saint Francis begin with each of the designated fiesta guilds gathering for the Mañanitas Rosario prayer service at 6:30 a.m., followed by the 7 a.m. celebration of the Eucharist at the parish church. A second Mass is held at noon.
The main spiritual activity on each day is the evening procession, when the sponsoring guild for that day congregates with a crowd of pilgrims at 6:30 p.m. to carry a statue of San Francisco on a march along Avenida Madero to the parish for a 7 p.m. Mass. Troupes of indigenous dancers, marching musicians, floats and cherished religious icons often join the lineup to further manifest faith and devotion.
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