The Paraguayan Embassy in Korea celebrated the Festival of the Virgin of Caacupe with Paraguayan expatriates here and friends of Paraguay at the residence of Paraguayan Ambassador to Korea Ceferino Valdez on Dec. 2.

The Festival of the Virgin of Caacupe is celebrated worldwide on Dec. 8.

The festival honoring Caacupe is one of the most important religious holidays for the South American nation, because the Virgin of Caacupe is the patron saint of the country and is believed to be an authentic Marian apparition.

“It is an important Catholic celebration in Paraguay in which thousands of pilgrims walk about 60 kilometers from the capital in Asuncion to the basilica in Caacupe,” Valdez said.

Devotees believe the Virgin of Caacupe can bestow miracles, and pilgrims traveling to the small eponymous town are said to most often pray for good health and jobs.

This year, the Paraguayan and Mexican embassies here coordinated celebrations for their respective religious holidays on successive Sundays Dec. 2 and Dec. 9.

Mexico’s Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe is normally celebrated on Dec. 12.

In Korea, the festival has become popular among many of the Spanish-speaking communities. This year’s festival took place at Jeoldusan Martyr’s Shrine in Hapjeong-dong in Seoul on Dec. 9. It is organized primarily by the Association of Mexican Residents in Korea.

“This year (Paraguayans) celebrated by first attending mass at the Catholic church here in Hannam-dong and then conducting our procession to the residence here in Hannam Towers,” Valdez said.

(ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)