Thousands brave the freezing cold to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe

Pilgrims from near and far gathered on a chilly evening to pay homage to the Virgin Mary and seek her blessings Wednesday during the annual feast at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines.

The holiday is the largest gathering honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe in the United States, and the Archdiocese of Chicago expects hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to attend the two-day celebration.

The event commemorates the reported visions of Mary on December 12, 1531 at Saint San Juan Diego in Mexico City.

As crowds made their way to the shrine, Central Road was closed for nearly a mile in both directions east and west of the site. Because parking is limited, thousands of worshipers came to the celebration on foot or by bicycle.

Most of the worshipers came from the Chicago area, but some traveled from other states and parts of Latin America.

As “La Guadalupana” and other traditional Mexican folk songs played in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, pilgrims gathered outside the shrine to kneel in prayer and lay flowers, candles and religious icons.

Raquel Salgado of Chicago was one of the thousands of worshipers who walked past the shrine and paused for a moment of prayer.

“We must come and give thanks and praise, in sickness and in health,” Salgado said. “Everyone, children, adults, seniors, young people, we need this faith to be strong.”

The Rev. Jeffrey Grob, Archbishop-elect of Milwaukee, was the principal celebrant of the opening Mass. Additional Masses were held throughout the night, and the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector of the sanctuary, will lead the final solemn Mass at 7 p.m. Thursday.

After the opening mass, there were fireworks, followed by “Las Mananitas,” a traditional serenade honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. During the celebration there were additional performances of music and folkloric dance by choirs, groups and pilgrims.