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Our Lady of the RockIn 2009, the American Festivals Project traveled to California’s Mojave Desert for a ceremony at Our Lady of the Rock, where a religious gathering has taken place on the 13th day of each month since 1989. Followers from California and Nevada congregate at the site for a rosary service hosted by Maria Paula Acuna, who claims the Virgin Mary first appeared to her while she prayed at a Los Angeles canyon for the health of one of her children. Here, a follower holds a rosary before the arrival of Acuna, who claims to regularly see the Virgin Mary and began hosting worship services at the desert site after Mary led her there. Read more about Our Lady of the Rock on the American Festivals Project blog.
Photograph by Andrew Owen, American Festivals Project

Our Lady of the Rock

See photos of Our Lady of the Rock ceremonies in California City, California, in this American Festivals Project travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

Published April 13, 2010