In October, purple fills the streets of Rome, and the sound of Peruvian music and the scent of incense fills the air. This is the Procession of the Lord of Miracles, brought by the Peruvian community through the streets of Rome to the Vatican.
The devotion to the “Señor de los Milagros” — in English, the Lord of Miracles — began in Lima in 1651, when an image of the Crucified Christ, painted by an Angolan slave on an adobe wall in the Pachacamilla district, miraculously survived a violent earthquake that destroyed the surrounding buildings.
Over time, the image came to symbolize hope and endurance, especially among Peru’s Afro-descendant and indigenous populations. Today, this devotion is celebrated throughout October in Peru and in Peruvian diaspora communities across the world — including here, in Rome.
In Rome, the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles carries this devotion forward. Its president, Wilmer Oblitas Zavaleta, explains the significance of the month of October.
“In October — because the events that gave rise to this devotion took place during that month, when earthquakes struck Peru, in the city of Lima, known as the City of Kings.”
The Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles organizes a major annual celebration — three days of prayer in various churches across the city, culminating in a solemn procession through the streets and ending in St. Peter’s Square.
On the platform is the image of Christ — the Cristo Moreno — adorned and carried on the shoulders of men known as “cargadores.”
José Antonio Orellana Ramírez is the Sub-Mayordomo of the Cargadores. He shared, “For me, it means something truly great, because the Lord of Miracles belongs to everyone — yet for each of us, it’s something deeply moving that we always carry in our hearts.”
At the front walk the “sahumadoras” — women who carry thuribles of incense, walking backwards and facing the image of the Lord of Miracles. Their backward steps are a gesture of reverence, while the rising smoke symbolises the purification of the path for the procession.
Liliana Chintana Cano is the head of “Sahumadoras.” She explained, “We are pioneers because we always go before the Lord, offering our incense in gratitude for the faith and hope that He gives us.”
For the Peruvian community in Rome and beyond, this procession is a reaffirmation of identity and expression of Peruvian faith.
Elisabeth Ganswiller Dias is a Member of the Nazarenes – Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles, Tampa, Florida, USA. She noted, “We have the privilege to be here — we are 67 pilgrims of the Nazarenes, brothers and sisters from the Church of St. Mark the Evangelist. We are here to celebrate in honor of the Lord of Miracles, especially our Pope Leo XIV, who himself is a devotee of the Lord of Miracles from Chiclayo.”
The procession winds through Rome’s historic streets to its destination — St. Peter’s Square.
There, the Holy Father — the first Pope with Peruvian citizenship — approaches to bless the image of the Cristo Moreno and the thousands of pilgrims who have come from Lima, Chiclayo, and from every corner of the diaspora, the joy of Peru becomes the joy of the universal Church.
Adapted by Jacob Stein. Produced by Alexey Gotovskiy; Camera by Giampiero Passalia; Video Edited by Giada D’Ottavi; Special thanks & Credits: Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles in Rome
