peregrinos

It has been interesting for me to live in a Catholic country and observe customs and beliefs of the people here. I’ve attended masses, baptisms, had interesting conversations about religion with my neighbors, and the priest of a nearby town has even tried to convince me that I should let him baptize me. Last week, I got to witness yet another interesting aspect of the Peruvian Catholic culture as hundreds of pilgrims passed through our valley.
As in any Catholic country, saints are a big deal here. In October, Peru celebrates the Saint Señor Cautivo de Ayabaca. This particular saint is the patron saint of the town of Ayabaca, which is in the highlands of Piura (about 2 days by foot from my town). Devout Catholics from all over Peru make a pilgrimage each year to Ayabaca. Pilgrims come all the way from Lima, and even more south. They walk north for weeks as more and more people join them en route to Ayabaca. It was fascinating to see them cross through the valley, only 2 days away from their final destination; some of them in large groups marching to a beating drum, some dragging a huge cross, some carrying a Saint Señor de Ayabaca statue or a portrait of a sick loved one, and others literally crawling to demonstrate the penance of their sins. It was very dramatic; I was tempted to start walking with them. Maybe next year…