Beatification procession passes Santa Catalina Arch on 7 November
Published on 11/07/2026 at 09:37 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSRoute and heritage setting
- The Catholic beatification programme on 7 November 2026 includes a reliquary procession through Antigua Guatemala.
- After the 10am ceremony at Finca Municipal Florencia, the route passes beneath Santa Catalina Arch.
- UNESCO inscribed Antigua Guatemala as World Heritage in 1979 after the city was largely destroyed in 1773.
Santa Catalina Arch (Arco de Santa Catalina) in Antigua Guatemala will form part of the route for the beatification procession of Fray Augusto Ramírez Monasterio on 7 November 2026. After the religious ceremony at Finca Municipal Florencia, the reliquary procession is scheduled to pass beneath the arch on its way to San Francisco el Grande.
Beatification procession reaches Santa Catalina Arch on 7 November
The beatification ceremony begins at 10am on 7 November 2026 at Finca Municipal Florencia in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. The venue opens from 6am, and the event is open to the public, according to the Guatemalan News Agency.
Following the Eucharist, the reliquary procession is expected to leave the Matasano bridge at about 12pm. The route enters Antigua Guatemala through Calle de los Carros and 3a Calle Oriente before reaching 5a Avenida Norte.
It then continues along 5a Avenida Norte beneath Santa Catalina Arch, turns towards 6a Avenida Norte and proceeds through the historic centre. The procession is due to end at the temple of San Francisco el Grande.
The arch route through Antigua's protected historic centre
The route places the arch within a religious procession connecting the ceremony outside the city with one of Antigua Guatemala's historic churches. For travellers, the relevant public-space activity is the passage beneath the arch rather than the ceremony's main venue at Finca Municipal Florencia.
UNESCO describes Antigua Guatemala as a city founded in the early sixteenth century and built at 1,500 metres above sea level in an earthquake-prone region. The city was largely destroyed by the 1773 earthquake, while its surviving monuments and street plan led to its inscription on the World Heritage List in 1979.
The city's grid and colonial monuments give the procession a route through streets that UNESCO identifies as part of Antigua Guatemala's preserved historic setting. The movement from 5a Avenida Norte towards San Francisco el Grande therefore links the arch with several named civic and religious landmarks.
How the reliquary procession moves through the city
The announced itinerary continues from the arch towards 6a Avenida Norte, 4a Calle Poniente and 4a Avenida Norte. It then follows streets beside the central plaza and the Palace of the Captains General before turning towards San Francisco el Grande.
The ceremony and the later procession are separate points on the day's programme. The first takes place at Finca Municipal Florencia, while the route through Antigua Guatemala provides the direct connection with Santa Catalina Arch.
Visiting Santa Catalina Arch: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The religious programme takes place on 7 November 2026. The ceremony starts at 10am at Finca Municipal Florencia, with the reliquary procession expected to leave the Matasano bridge at about 12pm.
- Entry to the ceremony is free, and the public route passes beneath the arch along 5a Avenida Norte before continuing towards San Francisco el Grande.
- The arch is on 5a Avenida Norte in the historic centre of Antigua Guatemala. The announced procession route also includes Calle de los Carros, 3a Calle Oriente and 6a Avenida Norte.
- Antigua Guatemala has cobbled streets and a preserved historic grid. Spanish is Guatemala's official language and the national currency is the quetzal.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Santa Catalina Arch
When does the beatification procession pass Santa Catalina Arch?
The procession is scheduled for 7 November 2026 after the ceremony at Finca Municipal Florencia, with the route passing beneath the arch along 5a Avenida Norte.
Where is Santa Catalina Arch and how do you get there?
The arch is on 5a Avenida Norte in the historic centre of Antigua Guatemala. The announced procession route reaches it from Calle de los Carros and 3a Calle Oriente.
What is Santa Catalina Arch?
It is a historic monument within Antigua Guatemala's preserved colonial cityscape and a point on the 7 November 2026 reliquary procession route.
