As we arrived in Los Arcos, there was a buzz of excitement among the pilgrims. The early arrivals in our group managed to sneak a peek into the Santa Maria Church before it closed at 2 p.m. Many declared it the most beautiful church they had ever seen, while one even joked about not being holy enough to enter.

By the time the 6 p.m. Mass rolled around, the church was packed with pilgrims, including about a dozen who had been invited by one particularly persuasive member of our group. His success in convincing people in the Plaza Mayor to join us was remarkable.

However, things quickly began to fall apart. When our two good and holy priests arrived, the Church Lady was having none of it. Each church typically has a guardian who opens the doors and oversees visitors each day. Unfortunately, the Church Lady had not been informed of our visit and was not pleased with us just expecting to have Mass.

To make matters worse, the main priest was on vacation and unreachable. One of our priests showed her an email from the main priest, but she was skeptical, thinking it could be forged. Our other priest offered to talk to the local priest, but she refused to give out his number. Eventually, she called in a friend to watch us in the church while she went out to find the substitute priest.

Meanwhile, one of the pilgrims whispered to me if I had any Gorilla Tape handy. He explained, "All I need is a distraction and some Gorilla Tape, and I could make this problem go away." I laughed and prayed for a swift resolution to the problem.

The substitute priest arrived about 10 minutes after Mass was scheduled to start. Within seconds, he let our priests in, and we were finally able to pray together in a church of untold beauty.

Once the issue was resolved, everyone became very friendly. They went out of their way to answer questions and share more about the history of this magnificent church. Despite the initial trouble, we left Los Arcos with a deeper appreciation for the warmth and hospitality of its people and the breathtaking beauty of its sacred spaces.  They are just pretty protective of the church.  I get it.