Thousands of Catholics from throughout greater Los Angeles gathered in East Los Angeles Dec. 2 to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe as the Mother of all peoples --- from every language, race and culture.

The oldest religious procession in the city honoring Mary, this year's theme "Mother Without Borders: Bringing Down the Walls of Injustice" was part of a statewide call to action for comprehensive immigration reform by the California Catholic Conference of Bishops.

"The Virgin of Guadalupe is a symbol of hope and compassion for all who are marginalized," said Cardinal Roger Mahony. "Today she continues to unite us as a humble people of God in search for understanding, compassion, peace and human dignity for all --- especially for our immigrant brothers and sisters who are being kept in the margins of society by a broken immigration system."

The one-mile procession on a chilly yet sunny Sunday afternoon began near La Soledad Church on Cesar Chavez Avenue and ended at East Los Angeles College Stadium where the cardinal, auxiliary bishops, numerous priests and more than 15,000 faithful celebrated Mass.

Scores of churches decorated banners and colorful floats. Aztec dancers and parishioners wore indigenous and multi-ethnic dress, many bearing images of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas.

The annual celebration recalls the miraculous apparitions of the brown-skinned Virgin Mary to the indigenous St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico in December 1531, when she left her image on his "tilma" or cloak. For 476 years her image has been a symbol of unity, peace, compassion and hope for people around the world.

This year the theme "Mother Without Borders: Bringing Down the Walls of Injustice" resonated with immigrant communities living in fear of workplace raids, deportations and family separation.

In his homily, San Gabriel Region Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala, speaking in English and Spanish, called on all Californians to work towards immigration reform.

"I want to welcome in a special way those of you who are English speaking, because you understand that Our Lady of Guadalupe --- her message, her love --- is not only for those of Spanish language and culture. But she is the mother of all of us, of every language, every race, every culture," said Bishop Zavala to applause.

"Immigration is today's sword, and it must be turned into a plowshare --- an instrument that prunes away all the injustices and serves to cultivate right relationship among nations and peoples," the bishop continued.

"As the bishops in California we call for just and humane immigration reform. As those who have faith in Our Lady of Guadalupe I call you to join us today in demanding immigration legislation that allows us to transcend borders and break down the walls of injustice. Those walls that view human beings as illegal. Those walls that view undocumented immigrants as criminals, subjecting them to imprisonment and deportation and leaving them without any possibilities of becoming United States citizens."

Among various measures, Bishop Zavala urged immigration legislation that would provide a legal path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants working and living in the United States and would prioritize the reunification of families separated because of mixed immigration status.

Thousands of Southern Californians participated in the procession and liturgy. Maria Antonio Rodriguez, a parishioner at St. Anne Church in Santa Monica, said she was there to affirm her belief that all people are human beings and no one should suffer discrimination.

"I am praying to Our Lady of Guadalupe, that through her people's hearts may be moved, the ones that are putting up the walls," said Rodriguez. "I hope they can change their point of view."

Juan Sanchez, 19, attended the event with a dozen family members. A parishioner at St. Matthias Church in Huntington Park, Sanchez said he was there to celebrate how the Virgin Mary brings all people together. "If everyone believes in her, then there are no borders with her," said the youth.

Dr. Truc Truong, a physician and parishioner at St. John Neumann in Irvine and St. Cecilia in Tustin, donated thousands of red and peach roses surrounding the images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego near the altar on the field.

A Vietnamese American immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1975 Truong has been donating 2,000 roses weekly to the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Hombre Nuevo, a Catholic multi-media center in El Monte which includes Guadalupe Radio 87.7 FM.

"Our Lady of Guadalupe is the mother of every single nation, country and every single one of us," said Truong. "The Son of God and the Mother of God --- they are together. You can't separate them. She intervenes for us."