By Eli Pacheco 

Friars and parishioners from Immaculate Conception Parish in Durham, North Carolina, participated in the annual Antorcha Guadalupana Mexico-New York Torch Run in November to raise awareness of the immigrant community’s struggles in the U.S. 

Friars from the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe – including Br. Carlos Portillo, OFM, Br. Gonzalo Torres, OFM, and Br. Hugh Macsherry OFM – staffed Immaculate Conception Parish’s portion of the run to the county line to receive the torch. 

Two North Carolina parishes where Conventional Franciscans serve – Blessed Sacrament in Burlington and St. Julia in Siler City – also participated. The torch’s 2,500 journey, first run in 1997, includes more than 30 miles between Blessed Sacrament and Immaculate Conception Parish in Durham, North Carolina.

[See the journey on the Carrera Antorcha Guadalupana Mexico New York Facebook page]

Several people walk on a road wearing blue hooded sweatshirts. Some are carrying frames with religious images on them, and one woman is holding a torch.

 In the annual Antorcha Guadalupana Mexico-New York Torch Run, pilgrims carry a torch and images of Our Lady and Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego through five states in Mexico and 14 in the United States. (Photo Courtesy of Br. Hugh Macsherry, OFM)

The relay began Aug. 30 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Mexican capital of Mexico City and will arrive at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

“The runners are carrying the torch from Mexico City to New York," Br. Hugh explained to a bystander who asked about the run. "They are taking it from parish to parish to promote fraternal, cross-border relations.” 

Br. Hugh is the guardian at Duns Scotus Friary in Durham. He accompanied the contingent as it passed through North Carolina. Br. Gonzalo presided over the Mass welcoming runners from Blessed Sacrament to Immaculate Conception.  

Br. Hugh also preached about the event for the Diocese of Raleigh’s Centennial Anniversary celebration. The actual anniversary is Dec. 12, the same day as the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  

The annual relay pilgrimage is held in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The torch represents three things: 

  • The hope of the immigrant community 

  • The light of faith 

  • The love of Mary 

As the group arrived at St. Julia Parish in Siler City, North Carolina, Br. Julio Alberto Martinez, OFM Conv., blessed the images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego, the man to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared. A sanctuary lamp was lit from the torch inside the church. Br. Julio blessed the participants and led them in prayer before inviting them in for a meal of mixiotes de pollo.  

Many stops along the route include similar celebrations, such as dancing and songs for the Virgin of Tepeyac, another name for Our Lady of Guadalupe. Participants pray for families and friends separated by a common border.

A man wearing a friar habit wears a headdress of red and yellow feathers. A child in the foreground is wearing a brown hat and blue shirt.

Br. Hugh Macsherry, OFM, wears a headdress inspired by the Aztec cultural history of Immaculate Conception's Mexican parishioners. The headdress is part of Danza Azteca, a modern dance practice that dates to the Spanish colonial period in Mexico. The dance is part of a tradition called Danza de Conquista, meaning "conquest dances," and helps the community connect with its culture and history. Many will be part of Immaculate Conception's evening dance for the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the parish's procession for Thursday evening Mass. (Photo courtesy of Br. Hugh Macsherry, OFM)

About the run

Asociación Tepeyac, a nonprofit organization that helps Latino immigrants and their families to integrate into American life, sponsors the run.  

Torch running was an Aboriginal American Indian custom for message delivery. Moctezuma and forerunners issued edicts and received news from the empire. After the conquest of the Mexican empire, torch running became a Guadalupan devotion. 

It is said that torch runners carried news of the divine apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego around Mexico.