LA Peruvian Catholics celebrate 'Milagros' tradition ahead of Pope Leo's Peru trip

Peruvian Catholics in Los Angeles held a Mass and procession on Oct. 18 to honor El Señor de los Milagros, the Lord of Miracles. The event began at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and concluded at La Placita Church in Olvera Street.

The La Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros ministry organized the procession. More than 50 men wearing purple habits with white cords took turns carrying the anda, a religious float bearing the image of Christ. Participants, including Abraham Villalobos, who has carried the float for 15 years, use the physical weight of the procession as a form of personal prayer for family and health.

The celebration coincides with the traditional Purple Month in Peru, where the faithful participate in daily prayers and processions through Nov. 1. The devotion centers on a mural of Jesus on the cross, which tradition says was painted by an enslaved African man in Peru and survived a major earthquake in 1655.