PHOTO ESSAY: Spain's wildest pilgrimage, El Rocío, brings together faith, nature and partying

EL ROCIO, Spain (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims slogged for days under a punishing sun through country roads, sandy paths, even a river ford to reach the tiny hamlet of El Rocío in southern Spain for Pentecost weekend.

An icon of the Virgin Mary — La Virgen del Rocío — has been venerated in this remote area since the Middle Ages.

Today, dressed in their finest but caked in dust and sweat, crowds jostle to be the first to pray and sing sevillanas — flamenco songs — before Mary in the white sanctuary by the wetlands where wild horses and flamingos roam.

On the multi-day journey by foot, horseback or ox-driven cart, and in the houses that line the streets of the village, there’s a lot of partying, drinking, music and laughter. But there are also solemn vows, hushed worship services, tears of thanksgiving by flickering candlelight.

“Since I was a little boy, the center of everything has been the Virgin,” said Jaime Berjano, who walked from Sevilla with the Triana brotherhood, one of the oldest and largest of the more than 100 involved. “The importance of the pilgrimage is not that it’s easy or nice, but that it’s worthwhile.”

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.

As the relentless sun and heat grew Monday morning, the pilgrims went back to celebrate, rest before the journey back — and start planning next year’s romería to their beloved Mary, whose image almost all carry in medals hanging from their neck, and a few even tattooed on their bodies.

This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Children are carried close to the Virgin of El Rocio during a procession in the village of El Rocio, near Almonte in southern Spain, Monday, June 9, 2025, during the annual pilgrimage in which devoteesof the Virgin del Rocio converge on the shrine. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims carry the Virgin of El Rocio, during a procession in the village of El Rocio, near Almonte in southern Spain, Monday, June 9, 2025, during the annual pilgrimage in which devotees of the Virgin del Rocio converge on the shrine. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims gather during the procession of the Virgin of El Rocio in the village of El Rocio, near Almonte in southern Spain, Monday, June 9, 2025, during the annual pilgrimage in which devotees of the Virgin converge on the shrine. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A baby is lifted to be close to the Virgin of El Rocio during a procession in the village of El Rocio, near Almonte in southern Spain, Monday, June 9, 2025, during the annual pilgrimage in which devoteesof the Virgin converge on the shrine. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims carry the Virgin of El Rocio outside the shrine in El Rocio, near Almonte in southern Spain, early Monday, June 9, 2025, during the annual pilgrimage in which devoteesof the Virgin converge on the shrine. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims dance Sevillanas in a home in El Rocio village, near Aznalcazar, Spain, during the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio that draws hundreds of thousands of faithful, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims light candles at the shrine of El Rocio near Aznalcazar, Spain, during the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims cross the Quema River near Aznalcazar, Spain, a crucial point in the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio that draws hundreds of thousands of faithful, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims from the Triana brotherhood attend Mass on their way to the shrine of El Rocio near Aznalcazar, Spain, during the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio, that draws hundreds of thousands of faithful, Thursday, June 5, 2025.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims walk through dusty terrain near Aznalcazar, Spain, during the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio, that draws hundreds of thousands of faithful, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims cross the Quema River on their way to the shrine of El Rocio near Aznalcazar, Spain, Thursday, June 5, 2025, during the annual pilgrimage in which devoteesof the Virgin del Rocio converge at the shrine. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims walk through dusty terrain near Aznalcázar, Spain, during the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims stand on the shore of the Quema River near Aznalcazar, Spain, a crucial point in the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio that draws hundreds of thousands of faithful, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims walk through dusty terrain near Aznalcazar, Spain, during the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio, that draws hundreds of thousands of faithful, Friday, June 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims cross the Quema River near Aznalcazar, Spain, a crucial point in the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio that draws hundreds of thousands of faithful, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims walk through dusty terrain near Aznalcazar, Spain, during the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A tattoo of the Virgin of El Rocio covers the back of Paloma Maria, a pilgrim from Cordoba, who crosses the Quema River near Aznalcazar, Spain, a crucial point in the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Pilgrims from the Triana brotherhood cross the Quema River near Aznalcazar, Spain, a crucial point in the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgin of El Rocio, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)