SAN ANTONIO – Each year, Silver Roses in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe are stewarded by Knights of Columbus councils along routes from Canada to the United States to Mexico.
This year, a Silver Rose is scheduled to make the pilgrimage through San Antonio.
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It will arrive at San Juan de Los Lagos Catholic Church at 3231 El Paso St., on Saturday, according to David Garcia with the Knights of Columbus. Parishioners will be able to view the Silver Rose during masses on Sunday.
“Every stop the Silver Rose makes throughout the pilgrimage is a rosary-centered occasion for Knights, parishioners and community members to pray for respect for life, for the spiritual renewal of each nation, and for the advancement of the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” the Knights of Columbus website states.
The bouquet of Silver Roses is housed at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
The basilica is a Roman Catholic Church and national shrine of Mexico which houses the cloak containing the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
The 1709 shrine was built north of Mexico City near the hill of Tepeyac, where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to Saint Juan Diego. The basilica structure which now contains Juan Diego’s cloak was completed in 1974.
Every year, runners from villages across Mexico light torches at the Guadalupe Shrine in Mexico City and relay them to their home churches to arrive on Dec. 12.
For the Silver Rose program, originally called Operation Rose, instead of carrying a torch, Knights steward a silver rose to recall the miracle of Guadalupe and Mary’s promise of aid.
The pilgrimage lasts from early March to mid-December.
The schedule for the Silver Rose at the San Juan de Los Lagos Catholic Church is:
- 8 a.m.: Mass (Spanish)
- 9 a.m. Silver Rose prayer program in Spanish
- 10 a.m.: Mass (Spanish)
- 11 a.m.: Silver Rose Prayer Service in English
- Noon: Mass (English)
The church is inviting parishioners to visit and leave their prayer intentions.
