SW News: In an effort to promote unity and peace in the Latin American nation of Ecuador, the Archdiocese of Guayaquil has planned a procession with the theme "Mary Walks with Her People" for this coming Saturday, May 27.

The procession, beginning at 8 a.m., will span 22 blocks, starting on Machala Avenue and finishing on Gómez Rendón Street, and all inhabitants have been invited. Participation from the confirmed 105 parishes is expected to be strong, with 47 Marian invocations.

In this procession, pilgrims will recite the rosary while bearing precious images of the Virgin Mary, and they will stop at several locations along the way to go for confession.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the concept originated as a consequence of the positive reception "Expo Maria 2019" received. Four days of Marian invocations in Guayaquil highlighted the city's devotion to the Virgin by invoking her under various titles such as La Merced, Maria Auxiliadora, Alborada, Fátima, and Lourdes.

The solemn Holy Mass will be presided over by the archbishop of the city, the Most Rev. Luis Cabrera and he will also distribute Holy Communion to those in attendance.

At the Guayaquil school, the pilgrims will end their journey by praying to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Virgin Mary for the political and economic plight of Ecuador. The Spanish colonizers introduced Roman Catholicism to Ecuador, and it is now the official religion. Because of the Church's outsized influence in Ecuadorian society, the country's 1869 Constitution stipulated that only devout Catholics may become citizens. The Andean nation also has a history of a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin over the centuries.