Ines San Martin is an Argentine journalist writing for OSV News from Rome. She is vice president of communications at the Pontifical Mission Societies USA.
As Dec. 12 approaches, millions of pilgrims are converging on the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world. The feast honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe — celebrated across the Americas and in the Philippines — is again drawing crowds far beyond Mexico's borders.
"Bishop Prevost was never the kind of bishop who gave orders from behind a desk," said Janinna Sesa Córdova, who led Caritas Chiclayo from 2014 to 2024. "He was the face of Christ, the one who went out into the mud to help his people."
Francis' devotion to San Lorenzo de Almagro isn't just a nostalgic footnote — it's a window into the soul of a pope who knew what it meant to love fiercely, hope deeply and stay loyal — win or lose.
