Guatemala celebrates the great devotion of the Virgin of Carmen both in Cerrito del Carmen where a fair is held, as well as in other temples and emblematic places in the country.
On the Vatican website it is stated that on July 16 the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,Marian devotion to Saint Mary of Mount Carmel. Its name comes from her veneration on this mountain located in the Holy Land, near Haifa, Israel.
But, not only that day is celebrated, throughout July, There are different activities dedicated to the Virgin of Carmen.
The Popular Commerce page announced that for this 2024 The Cerrito del Carmen fair will open on Saturday, July 6, and will run until Sunday, July 21.
On Sunday, July 7, at 9 a.m., a special mass for children will be held in the rectory of the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Cerrito del Carmen.
The procession of the Virgin of Cerrito del Carmen will be on Saturday, July 13 at 3 p.m. and will take place over a six-hour period. The Santa Cruz brotherhood of the Parish will be in charge of the organization and the participation of school bands is expected.
One of the new features this year is that it is possible to see the Virgin of Cerrito del Carmen up close, by lining up for the veneration, according to the organizers of the activity.
The Rectory of Santa Teresa, on 9th Avenue in Zone 1, is also organizing different activities. On Saturday 13th, at 3pm, the processional cortege will leave and enter at 9.30pm.
The Rectory of Our Lady of Carmen on 8th Avenue and 10th Street in Zone 1 will also have a procession on Sunday, July 21, which will leave at 10 a.m. and enter at 12:15 p.m.
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History of the devotion of the Virgin of Carmen
The spiritual fervor towards this devotion has been spread throughout the world by the order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whose religious are known as Carmelites.
The cult of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was born in the Middle Ages. In the 13th century, Saint Simon Stock refers to the apparitions of the Virgin, who gives her a scapular and takes the name of the place Mount Carmel, in allusion to the hill where Elijah was taken. This is the origin of the Carmelite order, which later had a female branch. One of the great reformers of this order was Saint Teresa of Jesus, in Avila.
In a vision, Saint Teresa saw the Virgin with her cloak covering the orders of this devotion. She then ordered a replica to be made and it is said that it remained in her room until her death. Her great wish was that the image be taken to the new world and the hermit Juan Corz was the one who brought it to Guatemala, settling on a small hill that was named Cerrito del Carmen, where it is currently located.
In the 17th century, Carmelite nuns from Peru arrived in Guatemala and founded the convent of Santa Teresa. They brought with them an image of the Virgin of Carmen, which is now on the main altar of the church of Santa Teresa, another of the places where this devotion is celebrated with great joy.
In the same century, the tertiary brothers of the Carmelite scapular founded their chapel and with the relocation of the city they were located on the current 8th Avenue and 10th Street, in the historic center of the capital, where there is a 17th century image of the Virgin.
In Guatemala, a fair and procession are organized for its celebration, as well as other demonstrations of faith in his name, and is also celebrated in Quetzaltenango and Huehuetenango.
The Virgin of Carmen is of great importance in Europe and Latin America because she is the patron saint of ports and sailors. For this reason there are aquatic processions with her image, says the city’s chronicler, Miguel Álvarez.
Several places are dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Spain. There she is the patron saint of sailors and fishermen, as well as of the Spanish Navy.
Something similar happens in Latin America. In Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela, the day of the Virgin of Carmen is a real celebration. In addition to the carrying of the images, the novenas are concluded with solemnity, and the devotees show their gratitude with different traditions.
The portal of Aci Press She says that in many places tributes are held to all women called Carmen or Carmela.
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