The remnants of Hurricane Isaias swept through the Washington region and forced the annual Lord of Miracles celebration indoors Oct. 11 at St. Ann Church in Arlington. But the weather did not dampen the joyful spirits of hundreds of participants.
Señor de los Milagros, as it’s known in Spanish, is a traditional devotion in Peru. It is remembered in Arlington each year through the efforts of Virginia’s La Hermandad del Señor de Los Milagros, a Peruvian Catholic brotherhood.
The day began with Mass celebrated by Missionhurst Father Ricardo Terga, followed by a procession. The event included traditional Peruvian food and activities to bring together the local Peruvian Catholic community.
The Lord of the Miracles devotion dates to 17th century-Lima, Peru, where an image of Jesus crucified painted on a wall survived destructive earthquakes. The image, to which many attribute miracles, became known as the Lord of Miracles, and a devotion to it spread across Peru and Peruvian communities around the world. Many communities honor it with a procession during the month of October.
Thousands of miles away, Pope Leo XIV greeted members of the brotherhood gathered in St. Peter’s Square Oct. 11, according to EWTN News. He signaled his intent to visit Peru next month as scheduled despite announcing moments earlier that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodule from one of his lungs that was recently detected during medical examinations. Prior to his papal election, Pope Leo served as an Augustinian bishop and priest in Peru for years.
