So what I can gather based on Peruvians, back in the 1700's there was a really major earthquake. Lima actually gets alot of them. In fact, we had one Thursday night. Coming from Southern California, it didn't phase me that much. Anyway, this earthquake was bad enough there was a church in the district of Lima where everything collapsed except for one wall that stayed intact. On this wall was a picture of Christ. The Peruvian people considered it to be a miracle, so now they celebrate the holiday, "El Senor de Los Milagros" (The Lord of Miracles). The celebration is over the painting that was found intact in the church that I guess was painted by an unnamed Peruvian Slave.
The "Procesion" (Parade) starts out early in the morning in the middle of Lima and follows a certain route. At one point it was supposed to make an appearance in the hospital.
The Damas told me I needed to get there early because they shut the hospital gates and don't let anybody else in after 8 am. They said security would be tight and were concerned about whether the guards would give me a hard time or not. I guess the parade route gets so crowded as people get so crazy, it was a special stop just for hospital staff and patients.
I told them I didn't think the guards would give me any grief. I was sure they would recognize me (after all, I kind of stick out). Come the morning of the parade they weren't kidding. They only had one entrance open and all hospital staff had to line up to slowly make their way through. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but right as I was slipping through I heard one of the guards yell "Voluntaria" so I think they recognized me and let me through.
You need to understand I had a hard time wrapping my head around this. Arzobispo Loayza is the largest Hospital IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. I was trying to explain to one of the volunteers in the United States we don't shut our hospitals down for a celebration, especially the largest one in the nation.
I got there at 7:30 am as the Damas (the other volunteers) told me to. The hospital was quiet because they weren't seeing patients. I took advantage of the morning to take a few pictures to show what the hospital grounds.
This walkway is usually full of people and it's the one that always intimidates me every week I come, because it's right as I walk down this path I can so easily tell I am the only foreigner there.
Lists the various departments of the hospital
As you can see, every department had their own poster welcoming "El Senor de Los Milagros"
The Damas made a celebration of it also. The volunteers for the entire week were there that morning waiting right as I arrived. So there were about 30 of us cramped in this tiny space. They had a raffle that day, and a lunch afterwards, but mainly everyone sat around and visited for a bit.
Here's the pain. So everyone gets there early in the morning because they close the gates, but El Senor didn't come till about 1 pm in the afternoon. I had to remind myself, this is Peru and it is not known for being efficient.
One of the volunteers and I took a walk to see everyone preparing for celebration.
Patients waiting outside on the sidewalk for El Senor
The mass they held at the hospital chapel at about 11 am
The official grandstand area where the altar carrying the painting of El Senor came and stopped.
There were men all over the hospital that morning wearing these purple robes. I guess they are men appointed to carry the altar that has the painting on it.
When El Procession finally arrived, it was with a fanfare. We started hearing fireworks, people were throwing confetti, and singing traditional Peruvian songs at the hospital gate.
It started out with three altar boys
This was a group of women dressed in purple with white shawls who were chanting Peruvian songs
I took this picture so you could hopefully see the CLOUDS of incense these special urns the women were carrying was giving off. The air was thick with the smell of it.
This is the actual altar with the painting on it.
I'm not exactly sure who is under that canopy. It was following the procession.
I caught this picture to show you the urns the women were carrying that were giving off clouds of incense.
People brought a couple of children up to the altar to bless it. Here the men in purple robes are taking turns carrying the altar with the painting on it. It looked like it was heavy to carry. The altar with the painting on it proceeded up to the grandstand area I showed earlier. After that they placed it on the ground to rest for a bit. Two prayers were offered. One by the Director of the hospital, the other by the hospital priest who had done the mass earlier in the hospital chapel. Then people from various departments at the hospital came and placed flowers on the altar.
After the prayers were offered, the gentlemen in purple robes picked it back up and carried it back to the hospital gate. Overall it was a grand total of 30 minutes.
Every department at the hospital had it's own prayer card to pass out. It seemed every time I turned around someone was giving me another one. They all have pictures of the famous painting that survived the earthquake.
I was able to grab a quick photo with Nelvita, La Presidenta of the volunteers. She's the one who I say looks like Teresa. Well after working with her for two months I have to say now, she IS Mother Teresa. Very sweet woman.
This is Teresa, one of the volunteers I met that day who usually works Thursdays and she was also my guardian angel. She was leaving the hospital same time I was. I stepped outside the gates to realize that they had shut the streets down for the parade and the metro bus that I usually take to get home was not running. So here I was, in the middle of Lima, having absolutely no clue where I was at. You need to understand, this is in an area where there are NO other foreigners. I did feel a little intimidated. But, as in many countries, if you're with a native, you're usually okay. Teresa walked me to a bus stop a few blocks away and I recognized a route that would take me back to Miraflores. She asked one of the women waiting in line if she would make sure I got on okay.
I can see why now. I don't know if it was because of the parade or because public transportation is different in the inner city, but it was at least half an hour before a bus came that had enough space on it I could get on. Once I was on, I don't know if traffic was bad because of the parade or because I was going by bus, but it took an hour till I arrived back in Miraflores. Usually it takes me 20 minutes by metro bus.
Well, I was hoping to get an authentic Peruvian experience, and I did. But I think it was just too much waiting for a half hour procession. It's kind of one of those situations I can say been there, done that. The next day at the church Halloween Party I mentioned to several members I had been downtown at "El Procession" and it was kind of like saying you went to the 4th of July Parade or something like that. And that brings me to my next post, the church Halloween Party. As you can tell it's been an eventful weekend.
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