Virgins of the World on Display at Queen of Apostles

By Alfonso Aguilar
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 8/22/02)

ALEXANDRIA — Nearly 800 Hispanics belonging to many diocesan parishes celebrated the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a colorful procession that included images of 21 virgins from Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the Caribbean, and flags of their respective countries along with traditional costumes.

The annual event was held last Saturday at Queen of the Apostles Parish in Alexandria. The procession departed from St. Gabriel convent and proceeded to the church, where a white cross was borne to heaven by pale blue and white balloons, announcing the arrival of the pilgrimage.

As in previous years, enthusiastic applause welcomed the entrance of each delegation whose virgins and banners were displayed together before the main altar. The procession was followed by a Mass celebrated by Fathers Juan Antonio Puigbo and Keith M. O’Hare. Visiting Father Victor Salomon of Venezuela also concelebrated the service.

"We wait for this celebration every day," said Juanita Villanueva, founder of the celebration 15 years ago. "This is a beautiful party for rich and poor, young and old, and for me it gives me great happiness to serve our God through our Virgin Mary."

Father Puigbo began the Mass with congratulations for the organizers headed by Arturo Gilbert. "Let’s give them a big hand," he said. Following enthusiastic applause, Father Puigbo added: "Let’s honor them like celebrities or sports stars" which brought the congregation to its feet with thunderous applause.

Although everything seemed well organized and full of devotion and happiness, Villanueva lamented that this year a virgin missed the celebration. "Unfortunately, the Virgin of Brazil was lost, thus many Brazilian parishioners didn’t show up," said the founder, a native from Peru, and "a servant of God since I was 12 years old."

Esperanza Amaya from El Salvador also attends the celebration every year to honor the Virgin of Guadalupe for "all the miracles she has performed to make me happy." Just recently, she said, a son, 40, fell from a tall building he was painting. "I had a premonition that something had happened to my son. Before a daughter called me to tell me the bad news, I had already asked the virgin to save his life and she did. She is very miraculous."

Father Puigbo told parishioners that all of these wonderful virgins brought to the church are only one virgin. "The size, color or country make no difference, because they are one virgin —the mother of our Lord," he said. 

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