By Melody Regalado - Florida Catholic correspondent
POMPANO BEACH � Proving that distance is no obstacle to faith, the Peruvian devotion to El Se�or de los Milagros (the Lord of Miracles) stands as strong today in south Florida as it has in Peru for the past two centuries.
With Masses, novenas and processions, Peruvians throughout the archdiocese celebrated their patron from the end of September to the end of October. One of those celebrations took place Oct. 17 at San Isidro Church in Pompano Beach.
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| RAYMOND NEICE | FC The image of El Se�or de los Milagros is displayed outside San Isidro Church in Pompano Beach during the procession that took place Oct. 17. Peruvians in parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Miami honored their patron with processions and novenas throughout the month of October. |
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| RAYMOND NEICE | FC Men dressed in traditional purple and white carry the image of El Se�or de los Milagros during the procession that took place Oct. 17 on the grounds of San Isidro Parish in Pompano Beach. |
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| RAYMOND NEICE | FC A Peruvian band sings a song dedicated to El Se�or de los Milagros, Peru's patron, during the outdoor procession held Oct. 17 at San Isidro Church in Pompano Beach. |
�It is a day full of grace for the heavens to open up and remind us that God is with us,� said Father Abel Barajas, pastor of San Isidro.
He asked for miracles and for the procession to be carried out here as it is in Peru.
San Isidro�s Mass and procession were transmitted live worldwide via the Internet on San Isidro�s Web site, www.sanisidro.org. Leading the singing at the Mass was El Coro Peregrino, the �pilgrim choir� from St. Andrew Parish in Coral Springs, led by Eva Gallo.
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| RAYMOND NEICE | FC View of the back of the image of El Se�or de los Milagros that was used for the procession that took place Oct. 17 on the grounds of San Isidro Parish in Pompano Beach. |
The Hermandad del Se�or de los Milagros (Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles) based at San Isidro organized the event. It is one of many parish-based groups that have been supporting and encouraging faith and devotion to El Se�or de los Milagros in south Florida for the past 26 years.
El Se�or de los Milagros is an image of Christ that is highly venerated by Peruvians, who consider it the patron saint of their country. It depicts a dark-skinned Christ hanging on the cross, surrounded by the Holy Spirit, God the Father, the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene.
An Angolan slave painted the original in 1651 on an adobe wall in the region of Pachacamilla near Lima. After numerous earthquakes and natural disasters in the 1800s, the image remained nearly intact, which gave rise to its miraculous reputation, and the devotion began.
The Iglesia de las Nazarenas (Church of the Nazarenes) was later built around the image and still stands today. People have traveled for centuries from all over Peru � and the world � to pray for cures, and after miraculous healings, the devotion has grown.
Mirtha Michalski, a Peruvian who coordinates the Hermandad del Se�or de los Milagros at San Isidro, said she has a personal connection with the miraculous powers the image is believed to possess. She was sick when she was young, and she believes she was cured after her mother prayed to the image.
According to Michalski, the first celebration of El Se�or de los Milagros in south Florida took place at San Isidro about 25 years ago. Since then, the tradition has continued there and at other parishes every October. Similar celebrations took place this year Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish in Fort Lauderdale and San Lazaro Parish in Hialeah.
Michalski estimated that more than 1,000 people took part in the Mass and procession at San Isidro alone.
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| RAYMOND NEICE | FC This image of El Se�or de los Milagros was used for the procession that took place Oct. 17 on the grounds of San Isidro Parish in Pompano Beach. |
According to U.S. census figures, between 2005 and 2007 there were 35,931 Peruvians living in Miami-Dade County and 18,442 in Broward County. Michalski believes that the population has continued to grow, numbering about 100,000 today.
But faith in Christ spans many nationalities.
Maria Carrillo, who is Mexican and a member of San Isidro, said she attended the Mass to celebrate God, because he is the love of her life who brought salvation to humanity.
The image of El Se�or de los Milagros used in this year�s procession is a nearly identical replica of the original. Made in Peru and brought to San Isidro, it will remain at the parish from now on.
The six and a half-foot image, surrounded by candles and flowers, was carried by men dressed in purple robes while Peruvian music played from loudspeakers and incense spread throughout the parking lot. Young girls and boys danced and waved purple flags in celebration, and booths along the procession�s path sold traditional Peruvian food as people chanting prayers followed.
Jes�s Montoya, a Peruvian and member of El Movimiento de Retiros Parroquiales Juan XXIII (John XXIII parish retreat movement), an organization that seeks to bring people closer to the Church and hosts retreats for parishioners, said his grandmother instilled the faith in him since he was a child.
�Only God can perform miracles,� he said, �and we are all here together to give him thanks.�
