Dec. 12, 2009 -- PHOENIX, AZ: Matachines perform during a procession to honor the Virgin of Guadalupe at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Phoenix, AZ. Most of the members of the church are Hispanic and Dec. 12, Virgin of Guadalupe Day, is one of the church's most important holy days. The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego, a Mexican peasant, on Dec 9, 1531, on a hillside near Mexico City. She is the "Queen of Mexico" and "Empress of the Americas" and revered throughout Latin America. Matachine dancers, common in northern Mexico and Mexican-American communities in the US, dance on important religious holidays to honor and venerate God. Photo by Jack Kurtz