Every year, when Lent arrives, my heart fills with vivid memories of Guatemala. Now that I live in Minnesota, I appreciate even more the richness of having grown up where faith is not only professed but also breathed in every corner.
Experiencing Lent in Guatemala is like walking through a Gospel-made tradition — the streets become pathways of prayer, and every gesture is an offering of love to God. With both my small group and my family in Guatemala, I was a witness and protagonist of this embodied faith. We organized the Stations of the Cross in our neighborhood and walked through the streets with neighbors, feeling how each station brought us closer to God and to one another. I remember Father Carlos Martinez encouraging us to experience the season of Lent on a deeper level — not to merely pass through the season but to truly live it and draw closer to Jesus.
The Stations of the Cross and processions depicting the stations are the heart of Lent in Guatemala. In every neighborhood and parish, people come together to relive Christ’s passion with devotion and dedication. Each year, we eagerly prepared reflections, invited families to set up their altars, and welcomed the image assigned to each station. It was not just a tradition; it was an encounter with Christ, a journey alongside him as we carried our own crosses. It comforted us to know that, by walking those streets in prayer, we were offering our sufferings and hopes, sharing our lives with Jesus.
The processions, monumental in their beauty and significance, reflect the fervor of the Catholic people — a testament of faith that transcends generations. The processional floats are a living catechesis, a message of faith carried on shoulders with devotion. Each sacred image used in the processions has its own story. In my family, my Uncle Carlos Contreras passed down these traditions to me and my cousins. He had a deep devotion to Jesús de los Milagros from San José Church in Guatemala City. María Teresa Contreras, his daughter and my cousin, learned from him what this liturgical season meant: more than an event, Lent was a school of faith. From a young age, she joined her father to witness the processions. They would see the carefully crafted, intricate carpets of sawdust and flowers; savor the seasonal dishes; and, most importantly, live Lent as a path of conversion.
Now, María Teresa teaches her children and nephews that processions are not just spectacles but moments of personal encounter with Jesus.
She recalled the opportunity she had this year to carry the consecrated image of Jesús Nazareno de los Milagros on her shoulders in a special women’s procession. The extraordinary penitential procession held on March 8 was part of the Jubilee Year convened by Pope Francis. It coincided with International Women’s Day and offered a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the essential role of women in passing on the faith and preserving religious traditions. This initiative aimed to honor and dignify women, highlighting their devotion and commitment to the spirituality and culture of Guatemala.
At first, she said she felt her father’s absence with a mix of nostalgia and gratitude, but as she walked, she experienced an indescribable peace — a certainty that Jesus and her father were with her in that moment. And that is what makes Lent in Guatemala so special: It is not merely an external celebration but a profound experience of faith that connects us with God and with those who have passed this spiritual heritage on to us.
María Teresa described the procession as “an intimate moment of prayer between Jesus and me, or the Virgin Mary and me. For me, it always brings (back) memories of my father. In that instant, I felt his presence, as if he were still walking beside me, just as he did when I was little. It is a moment of communion, of gratitude for every blessing, and of asking for the grace to live this holy time again for another year.”
Processions are a living Gospel. Each carries a message transcending generations — a silent yet powerful call to conversion. As the prophet Isaiah says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you: ‘This is the way; walk in it,’ when you would turn to the right or the left” (Is 30:21). In the incense rising to heaven, the carpet adorning the streets, and the solemn music in the air, our senses invite us to look inward and connect with Christ’s immense love.
For us who have emigrated from Guatemala, the memories of these processions become treasures of the soul — small flames that continue to burn in our hearts, calling us to share our faith wherever we are. Faith is present in the streets of Guatemala, where those seeking a unique experience during Lent can truly encounter Christ.
Mancilla is the small group support member of the archdiocesan Office of Discipleship and Evangelization.
