Thousands Celebrate Virgin of Guadalupe in LA Associated Press
go to original August 6, 2012

Dancers line up before performing in a Matachines and Aztecas procession during the Guadalupe Celebration at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Sunday afternoon. The free event attracted tens of thousands of people. (Arkasha Stevenson/Los Angeles Times)

LOS ANGELES — Thousands of Catholics filled the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe in what is believed to be the largest celebration of Mexico's most beloved saint outside of that country in 75 years.

Organizers said more than 100,000 free tickets were ordered for Sunday's three-hour event, which featured prayer, dance and special presentations.

The Los Angeles Daily News reports that many began lining up at the Coliseum gates at 7 a.m. for the afternoon event.

The event was co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic fraternal organization that is holding a convention in Anaheim.

Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez called the event "a day to reinforce our faith."

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