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December 2, 2016

‘Real to Reel’ & “Chalice of Salvation” to air special series on recent Mexico pilgrimage

REGIONAL
Staff report

mexico-arrival-1
(IObserve photos/submitted)

SPRINGFIELD – With the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe coming up on Dec. 12, the Springfield Diocese’s weekly newsmagazine, “Real to Reel,” and Sunday televised Mass the “Chalice of Salvation” will air the first of a three-part series this weekend highlighting Catholic Communications’ October pilgrimage to Mexico.

Led by Father Gary M. Dailey, director of the Newman Catholic Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, pilgrims from the Diocese of Springfield traveled to Mexico Oct. 15-22 to witness the historical sites of this Central American country, especially the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The basilica is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, and given that 82 percent of Mexico’s population is Catholic, Father Dailey said, “The Virgin of Guadalupe plays a very important part in their life as Mexicans.”

Along with touring the basilica in Mexico City, the group visited the original church where St. Juan Diego was baptized. They also traveled to San Juan Teotihuacan, the famous archaeological pyramid site.

guadalupe-image

“It’s kind of interesting that we’ve come to Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is such a beautiful Catholic site, and we come to an area like this which is really pagan where the early people here in Mexico, the Aztecs and the Mayans, would be very much in tune with Sun God and Sun Moon and all the various gods that they worshiped at that time,” said Father Dailey. “The history is very rich.”

Catholic Communications’  videographer Sean Manning traveled along with the pilgrims and captured the local and historical sights and sounds.

“Sean did a tremendous amount of work during the tour, with all that is involved in following the group, documenting each site they visited, and then editing the segments together with interviews and video,” said Sharon Roulier, “Real to Reel” host and producer. “I think viewers will enjoy this series, learn more about the history of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe and also about our wonderful neighbors to the south.”

“Real to Reel” airs Saturday evening at 7, the “Chalice of Salvation” airs Sunday morning at 10, both on WWLP-22NEWS. These segments will also be posted after December 5 on the “Real to Reel” YouTube page found at https://www.youtube.com/user/diocesespringfieldma.

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