The feast of The Lord of the Miracles or Señor de los Milagros, is a celebration that dates back to colonial times and is known to gather the largest concentration of believers in South America each October.

Legend has it that the feast day originated when a black Angolan slave drew an image of the crucified black Christ on the walls of a hut in a plantation near Lima, Peru. There were many attempts to remove the drawing to no avail. Even after an earthquake that hit Lima and a neighboring city destroyed many buildings, the wall with the image of the black Christ stood strong.

As a result, the image became a place of worship and veneration. Each October, the faithful process through the streets of Lima where people dress in purple tunics, singing hymns and praying as they hold replicas of the image or painting.

Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Felipe J. Estévez at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Orange Park on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m.