The Archbishop of Santa Cruz and President Rodrigo Paz, who attended the celebration, called for faith to overcome the crisis facing the country.
Newsroom(12/13/2025 12:28, Gaudium Press) Every December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, thousands of faithful make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Cotoca in Bolivia, in a tradition that combines great faith and devotion. Between night walks, promises, and lit candles, devotion to the Virgin mobilizes an entire town.
This year, hundreds of thousands of faithful came to honor the Virgin with religious and cultural activities.
“We have welcomed many people, they came from many places, I have seen some tears, perhaps of emotion, some with problems, but we have that full hope that the Mamita will grant them what they have come to ask for,” the parish priest of the shrine, Fr. Rubén Alvis, told EJU TV.
Processions, songs, and traditional dances added color to the day on December 8, whose central moment was the Eucharist presided over by the Archbishop of Santa Cruz, Monsignor René Leigue Cesarí.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, who is currently celebrating his first month in office, arrived at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady of Cotoca, accompanied by ministers and regional authorities.
In his homily, Monsignor Leigue Cesarí addressed the authorities, urging them to work together to overcome the crisis facing the country. He also thanked them for their presence and highlighted the value of their commitment to the community on this special day.
Addressing those present, President Paz highlighted the importance of the Virgin of Cotoca as a symbol of unity and hope for the Bolivian people, particularly in times of social and economic challenges.
“We will need a lot of faith, because beyond having this space for Bolivian families to reunite before the mantle of the Virgin, we have been left with a devastated country, and only with faith will we be able to move forward,” said the president, according to La Patria.
A crowd then participated in the procession with the image of the Virgin, which traveled through the streets of Cotoca with songs and prayers.
The history of the image
The story goes that in 1767, in the town of Cotoca, two mulatto workers unjustly accused by their boss—a man named Cortez—of murdering his foreman, fled with their families to the neighboring mountains, and while resting, they found the image of the Virgin hidden in a tree.
The fugitive families, whose surnames were Lozano and Barroso, prayed for the Virgin to help them, and a miracle occurred when it was discovered in the village that the real murderer had been Mr. Cortez, who had confessed to the crime on the same day that the image had been found.
From then on, devotion to the Virgin of Cotoca, patron saint of eastern Bolivia, began. The town grew around the miracle, and in 1799, the first church was built.
The parish priests say that the feast of the Immaculate Conception was adopted by the community of Cotoca since colonial times. With the expansion of Santa Cruz—located 20 kilometers from Cotoca—in the 20th century, the pilgrimage grew to become one of the most popular rituals in eastern Bolivia. According to official data, more than 300,000 people participate each year, including pilgrims, visitors, and townspeople.
With information from Aciprensa and radiobetania.com.
Compiled by Teresa Joseph
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