Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-06-10
Santa Fe Catholics
MakeP Pilgrimageto
Rosario Chapel
PARADE THROUGH STREETS
In Memory of Miracle OF
Blessed Virgin Mary Over
Two Centuries Ago.

For more than two hundred years
descendants of the early Spanish sol
ders and colonists who reconquered
and rehablltated Santa Fe nave been
making an annual pilgrimage to the
quaint little chapel in Rosario Gene
terry to worship at its shrine in CRATE
full remembrance of VOW made by
Captain General Diego DE Vargas to
the blessed Virgin Mary. At o'clock
every morning this week mass will
be celebrated in the ancient sane
tuary which stands in the midst of the
burying ground and which tradition
says was built by De Vargas.
On De Vargas day every year which
is fixed as the Sunday following that
of the Feast of Corpus Christi statue
of the Holy Mother is carried from
the Cathedral to the hallowed little
adobe chapel in Rosario Cemetery and
deposited at the altar where it re-
mains until the following Sunday
when it is returned to the Cathedral.
This very image which is the object
of such sincere devotion is said to
date back to the time of De Vargas,
and to have been brought by him
from Spain The De Vargas process,
sion is equally as impressive and as
interesting as the religious parade on
Corpus Christi day which is one OF
the greatest feast days in the calendar
of the Catholic Church.
De Vargas Day Yesterday.
Yesterday was DE Vargas day. Ttc
weather "asagA4 tate coId have been
desired for the proper observance of
this auspicious occasion so vitally con
nected with the early history of Santa
Fe. The sun shone brightly but its
heat was tempered by gentle breeze
that was blowing The procession left
the church promptly at O'Clock in
the afternoon and moved slowly west
ward on San Francisco Street: 1t was
an imposing spectacle and a fitting
tribute to the great Spanish leader
who instituted the custom over two
centuries ago. Hundreds of specta-
tors lined the streets and thronged
the plaza as the solemn cortese
marched by. The parade was one of
the largest within recent years and
was fully a quarter of a mile in length.
It is estimated that there were at
least two thousand people in the pro-
cession which included the students
of st. Michaels College and Loretto
Academy as well as the parishioners
of both the Cathedral and the Church
Of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Among
the paraders were many women, de-
crepit and bent with age, wearing
typical black shawls enveloping their
heads and shoulders, who thought
nothing of walking the distance of
over mile. As in the Corpus Christi
parade the Sunday previous little girls
in their pretty white frocks with long
flowing white wells and wreaths Of
flowers encircling their heads were
an attractive feature. The sacred
statue was carried aloft by four OF
the larger girls members of the So
dality of st. Mary which acted as es.
cort. Professor Perez's band parti
cipated in the procession and dis
coursed sacred airs.
Short Services at Chapel.
Upon the arrival of the procession
at the chapel the silvery toned bell
which called the worshippers to their
devotions there in the years long
gone by began ringing merrily. The
marchers halted. in front of the church
and opened ranks to make passage
way for the sodality girls carrying
the priceless statue which was placed
in front of the altar Catholics in the
assemblage and those gathered there
were nearly all of that denomination
knelt reverently on the ground and
the men barred their heads as the
image was borne past them. Within
few minutes the little chapel which
has no pews or seats of any kind save
the bare earthern floor was crowded
to its capacity. Brief vesper ser
vices were held, after which the
marcners and spectators returned to
the city.
Viewed at distance of several
blocks from point of vantage as the
procession wended its way out Rosa
rio Avenue it was most imposing
sight The little girls arrayed in
spotless white looked like bevies OF
angels. One could almost imagine
the flowing wells to be wings f1utter
ing and expect to see them suddenly
begin soaring heavenward.
How Custom Originated.
Captain General Diego De Vargas
was the originator of this interesting
custom of paying homage to the
Blessed Virgin. The story is one full