When I arrived to Santiago, Chile’s capital, I asked about the things that I ought to do and where to visit. The first thing I instantaneously heard from the random guy I asked was to visit the Cerro San Cristobal. That sounded very interesting to me. What does this hill have that make it a must for tourist to visit? He told me that the view from that hill was amazing and there was a statue of “La Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepcion.” Since I am raised in Mexico, from a very catholic family, I thought this could be an important and great place to visit.
Before I registered to study abroad in Chile, I started researching about the country, and one advantage that I found, in order for my parents to let me go, was that the primary religion in Chile is Catholicism: on 2012 census there were registered 67% as Catholics (Poblete). Since St. Edward’s is a Catholic University, I’ve seen many Catholic activities where students share their experiences relating to Catholicism and I though this would be a great experience to share in this group activity.
When I arrived to the entrance of “Cerro San Cristobal” the first thing I saw was the Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepcion. I never thought it would be that big, 14 meters of height! I just couldn’t wait to get to the top of the hill and take a picture to show it to my family. I took the cable railway, so I wouldn’t have to walk all over it, and that was a new experience for me as well. When I arrived to the top of the hill, I stared to run because I just wanted to see more closely the Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepcion. It was an amazing experience that I couldn’t describe by just writing about it. Everything was perfect; the view of all Santiago, the weather, the people I was surrounded. I just couldn’t avoid the smile on my face.
I could see, as myself, that many people would share their experience of visiting “Cerro San Cristobal” and this would encourage other people to visit. Since it is a “must see” in Santiago, Chile, I believe it is important for Catholics to give tourists an outstanding experience to make this people know why we love to be Catholic.
With this visit, I confirmed that many people continue believing and venerating Old Catholic traditions.
I learned that, it is not just in Mexico where there are devoted pilgrims, it is as well in Santiago, where on December 8th, day of Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepcion, more than fifty thousand faithful people from all around the world come to venerate the Virgen.