Parishioners trickled in through the fog before sunrise.

They took their places Friday morning among the pews at St. Matthew Catholic Church and raised their voices with the church band to honor the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, celebrated every year on Dec. 12.

Many of the 200 or so in attendance wore deeply colored shawls with depictions of the Virgin Mary as rich in tone as the Hillsboro church entrance’s stained glass.

The imagery referenced the Biblical tilma, or cloak, worn by an indigenous peasant, Juan Diego, during the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Mexico in 1531. When she appeared to Diego, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted on his clothing. The image has since become a strong cultural and religious symbol for many Latino Catholics.

Parishioners

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