CV NEWS FEED // On May 25, Archbishop José Gomez will lead a procession and then celebrate Mass to welcome the image of the Holy Infant of Atocha, honoring a 17-year annual tradition of the image’s pilgrimage to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
According to an emailed news release from the Archdiocese, the Holy Infant of Atocha, also referred to as the Santo Niño de Atocha, is a highly venerated title in Mexico, and when the historic image is not on pilgrimage, it resides in the Sanctuary of Plateros, in Zacatecas, Mexico.
Archbishop Gomez will lead a procession at 4 p.m. at Las Piedas Park, and will end at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Santa Paula, where the archbishop will celebrate Mass at 6 p.m. For the next two weeks, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish will host Masses dedicated to the Holy Infant.
During these two weeks, “hundreds of the faithful from across California are expected to venerate the image of the saint,” the news release highlighted.
The image’s pilgrimage time in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will conclude on June 9, with another procession to the parish, followed by a Mass celebrated by Bishop Sigifredo Noriega Barceló of the Diocese of Zacatecas.
Devotion to the Holy Infant of Atocha dates back to the 1200s in Madrid, Spain, according to the online Catholic shop, Catholic Saint Medals: “The Child is the patron of pilgrims with legend having him roaming the land to bring help to the helpless. This stems from the caliph of Madrid only allowing children under 12 years old to bring food to prisoners of faith.”
In 711 A.D., the Moors were martyring, torturing, and imprisoning Spanish Catholics. In the town of Atocha, Catholics suffered greatly in the terrible conditions of the prisons, according to Catholic Saint Medals. The women of the town began to pray before a statue of Our Lady of Atocha, at their parish, for Jesus to intercede and have mercy on the imprisoned men. The statue depicted Our Lady holding her Infant Son.
Soon after this, the imprisoned men began being visited by a Boy, about 12 years old, who was wearing pilgrims’ clothing. The Boy brought food and water to the men during the night, unknown to the guards.
“He refreshed the prisoners spiritually and physically with His Presence. They all knew He was the Child Jesus,” Catholic Saint Medals noted.
Travelers through Spain also began reporting that they had encountered the Boy who was wearing pilgrims’ clothing, according to Catholic Saint Medals. The Child would bring them food and water, direct them to safe routes, and even journey with them for a time.
Devotion to the Holy Infant of Atocha has continued on through the centuries. The archdiocesan news release noted that the Holy Infant “is usually shown seated and depicted as a boy pilgrim dressed in a brown cloak with a white lace collar over a blue robe. The cloak features a Shell of St. James, the symbol of the pilgrims to the Shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.”
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