Dueling Virgins

Did you know that each Catholic church in Spain has it's own Virgin? That means that Mary has appeared there at that spot and a church was then built to commemorate it/honor her. There are literally thousands of churches all over Spain marking the different Virgin appearances. Each has her own name...Macarena, Rocio, Rosario, Esperanza, etc. Each one has a statue of her prominently displayed in the front of the church. I posted a picture of one just the other day...the one where the woman had just gone up and kissed her hands. Mary is always holding baby Jesus, but no one kisses Him or prays to Him.
Once a year, on the day marking the appearance, there is a processional where members of the "hermandad" (brotherhood) carry the Virgin out through the streets of her neighborhood. It just so happens that this past Sunday was the day of TWO Virgins, both within a block of my house. I was at our English worship service that we hold once a month so I got back to my house late. As it turns out, the Virgin was carried right down my street and I missed it!!! I would have been eye to eye with her had I been there!
When we (our interns have never seen this so they came over) went in search of the first one that had already passed my house, we found that the second one was also out making the rounds. (I must say that the second one had a much better band than the first. I wonder what that is all about!) After we saw the first one and got lots of pictures and had a time of prayer in the street for those who are so devoted to this lie, the girls headed to the bus station to catch the last bus back to their home. I headed back to my house walking. On the walk I ran smack into Virgin number 2 coming down my street. I missed her passing my balcony by just minutes!!! Argh! I had to wade through the crowd to get past her and get to my house. Folks weren't too happy about my obvious lack of devotion though I tried to be discreet.
Please pray for these folks. They are so devoted to this lie. They are committed to these Virgins like they are committed to their soccer teams. They even fight over which Virgin is best! And to watch the followers praying as she passed by and to see the woman in tears...it was just so heart-breaking. How are they ever going to know the Truth when it is the church that has lied to them? Satan is so good at twisting things. He has turned the hearts of the people toward idols and they think they are carrying out these rituals for God. Please, please pray.