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The
Costa Rican Red Cross reports
that it had assisted 748
people this week.
/ Basilica Virgen de los
Angeles courtesy photos
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Pilgrimage Day
reaches its climax today
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Today in Costa Rica marks the
pinnacle of one of the country’s
most important religious
celebrations, La Romería.
As A.M. Costa Rica has been
reporting, La Romería, which
means pilgrimage, is a mass
journey of the faithful to pay
homage to the Virgen de los
Angeles at the Basilica located
in the Province of Cartago*.
An estimated 2 million people
walk to the church every year.
The Costa Rican Red Cross
reports that it had assisted 748
people this week.
The Red Cross is promoting the
EcoRomería plan to educate
pilgrims on how to collect their
trash. During the
pilgrims' journey, from the city
of Curridabat*
to the church in Cartago, there
will be 40 stands with members
of the red cross, collecting
garbage the pilgrims carry such
as food wrappers, plastic
bottles, organic food remains,
etc.
According to the Red Cross,
companies donated $113,300 for
this years trash collection
program. The investment will
cover the expenses of 1,200
volunteers, who will be
distributed along the 35
kilometers of the pilgrims'
route.
According to the statistics of
the Red Cross, during last years
pilgrimage, 3,038 people were
treated for health problems
during their journey.
The Traffic Police announced a
series of changes on the highway
between the provinces of San José* and
Cartago to increase protection
for pilgrims.
The changes apply today as
follow:
- The toll collected know as
peaje in the city of Tres Ríos*
is suspended due to the high
flow of vehicles going to the
church in Cartago.
- An extra lane was opened on
the Florencio del Castillo
highway to be used exclusively
by pedestrians. That is a
section of five kilometers
between Tres Ríos to the center
of Cartago.
- The plate prohibition
regulation will not apply within
the city of San José for drivers
with cars with plates ending in
9 or 0 (zero) due to the holiday
of the celebration of the Virgen
de Los Angeles.
- The transit police will seize
any skateboards, skates or
bicycles because these are
prohibited on the roadways that
will be used by the pilgrims.
- Controls will be increased to
prevent pilgrims from walking
near the construction area of
the new viaduct located in Zapote*.
The area is known as the traffic
circle of Monumento de
Garantias Sociales*.
The Traffic Police "call on
pilgrims heading to Cartago to
take extreme security measures
when they cross that area," said
the road council in its
statement.
According to the traffic police,
there are be 270 of its officers
controlling the mass journey of
pilgrims.
According to the Ministry of
Security, over 1,000 officers
will be part of an operation
lasting until August 3 that
includes the mounted police
units, motorcycle units, and an
air surveillance unit.
According to the ministry, the
Pilgrim Operation will maintain
police unit patrols when there
is a large number of people
present on rural roads and the
Inter-American Highway.
As for the health conditions of
the children, during the long
walks, the National Children
Hospital specialists call on
parents not to take children to
the pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage may involve risks
for children, especially in a
critical season of respiratory
infections, said the Children's
Hospital in its statement
"The recommendation is not to
take children to the pilgrimage
due to the high risk for
children under two years," said
Olga Arguedas Director of the
Children's Hospital.
"Even children older than two
years could become sick and be
contagious to their siblings or
classmates", said the
specialist.
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Do you know someone who has made
the traditional pilgrimage to the
Basilica in Cartago? We would like
to know your thoughts on this
story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
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