Bishop Dell’Oro celebrates Our Lady of Coromoto with Venezuelan Catholics

SUGAR LAND — More than 800 Catholics from Houston’s Venezuelan community turned out to honor Our Lady of Coromoto at St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land on Sept. 9.

The Mass, celebrated in Spanish, included traditional Venezuelan music, a shrine of Marian statues, and a special, lively procession of a statue of Our Lady of Coromoto.

PHOTO/VIDEO: A lively Venezuelan celebration for Our Lady of Coromoto

The annual Mass gathers Venezuelans from around the region to unite in prayer with other Venezuelans away from their Latin American home country and honor the Sept. 8 Solemnity of Our Lady of Coromoto. Attendees also collected funds and donations to support charities in Venezuela.

A group  of Venezuelan Catholics, also known as a 'Virtual Venezuelan Parish', or Parroquia Virtual Venezolana in Spanish, prayed a novena to Our Lady of Coromoto for nine days leading up to the celebration.

Our Lady of Coromoto is celebrated as the patroness of Venezuela. She appeared twice with the Christ Child to the chief of the local Coromoto tribe in the 17th century, urging him to be baptized.

During the apparitions, Our Lady left a small image of herself with the Christ Child, which is seen in many images of Our Lady of Coromoto. †