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EL ROCIO, Spain (AP) \u2014 Hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims<\/a> slogged for days under a punishing sun through country roads, sandy paths, even a river ford to reach the tiny hamlet of El Roc\u00edo in southern Spain for Pentecost weekend.<\/p>\n An icon of the Virgin Mary \u2014 La Virgen del Roc\u00edo \u2014 has been venerated in this remote area since the Middle Ages.<\/p>\n Today, dressed in their finest but caked in dust and sweat, crowds jostle to be the first to pray and sing sevillanas \u2014 flamenco songs \u2014 before Mary in the white sanctuary by the wetlands where wild horses and flamingos roam.<\/p>\n On the multi-day journey by foot, horseback or ox-driven cart, and in the houses that line the streets of the village, there\u2019s a lot of partying, drinking, music and laughter. But there are also solemn vows, hushed worship services, tears of thanksgiving by flickering candlelight.<\/p>\n \u201cSince I was a little boy, the center of everything has been the Virgin,\u201d said Javier Berjano, who walked from Sevilla with the Triana brotherhood, one of the oldest and largest of the more than 100 involved. \u201cThe importance of the pilgrimage is not that it\u2019s easy or nice, but that it\u2019s worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n The pinnacle of the pilgrimage is the procession of the icon of the Virgin Mary in the overnight hours between Pentecost Sunday and Monday. Crowds jostle to reach the gold-covered image of Mary looking down at an infant Jesus in her lap, which is then carried through the sand streets and plazas to visit each brotherhood house.<\/p>\n As the relentless sun and heat grew Monday morning, the pilgrims went back to celebrate, rest before the journey back \u2014 and start planning next year\u2019s romer\u00eda to their beloved Mary, whose image almost all carry in medals hanging from their neck, and a few even tattooed on their bodies.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP\u2019s collaboration<\/a> with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n