The St. Francis of Assisi Church in Rochester was delighted to receive the newly restored Our Lady of Guadalupe statue and greeted the sacred item with a procession of more than 8 miles and 200 participants. 

The statue was sent off for restoration three months ago and upon its return was welcomed by hundreds of parishioners, including some on horseback. 

"It's a very strong devotion for Catholics, especially in the Mexican culture, to celebrate this way," Father Luis Vargas said, according to Yahoo! News.

Among the restorations completed on the statue was making Mary’s skin look Hispanic. The work was done by artist Michelle de la Vega Ludwig. 

The statue has been replaced in its former home, on top of a hill which is owned by Mary Herring, a parishioner, who welcomes visitors who wish to pray in front of the statue. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe is a national symbol for Mexican Catholics. The devotion to it dates back to 1531 when an apparition of the virgin Mary appeared to Saint Juan Diego twice. She requested that a shrine be built for her in the spot, which is in modern day Mexico City. Juan Diego requested a second apparition before he agreed to build the structure and when she appeared a second time the saint found that dozens of roses fell to the ground from his cloak and the interior of his cloak featured an image of Mary, according to Britannica.