Snow showers and cold subzero winds did not deter thousands of people from making the pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in suburban Des Plaines on Wednesday.
The annual celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe began Wednesday with a series of events, including fireworks, and will include a midnight mass at the shrine, one of the largest celebrations in the world.
Traditional flowers were laid at the foot of the shrine, with families offering their prayers for continued blessings through the holiday season and into the bitter cold of Wednesday evening.
“I planned everything to be really hot,” Willy Gonzalez told NBC Chicago.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected this week at events at the shrine to celebrate the festival. According to Catholic teachings, Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of several titles given to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The name is linked to a series of apparitions that the Virgin Mary is said to have made to a Mexican peasant in the 16th century.
The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated every December 12, with suburban Des Plaines being the epicenter of one of the largest celebrations in the world.
Many families make the pilgrimage every year, making it part of their annual holiday traditions.
In addition to the midnight mass, the celebration will continue until Thursday, including a reconstruction of the visions of the Virgin Mary, according to the organizers.
