Archdiocese of Chicago Invites All to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Celebrate All Souls’ Day on Saturday, Nov. 2
Vea la versión en español aquí.
Chicago, IL (November 1, 2019) – A special celebration on Saturday, Nov. 2, in honor of All Souls’ Day, will take place at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 1170 N. River Rd., Des Plaines. Rev. Esequiel Sánchez, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, will celebrate an All Souls’ Day Mass at 7 p.m.
Participants from parishes across the archdiocese are invited to take part in this Día de los Muertos celebration that begins at 4 p.m. Families will be invited to create traditional altars on the grounds surrounding the Shrine, in honor of their deceased loved ones, with photos, memorabilia, their favorite foods and the traditional Pan de Muerto, or bread of the dead. These altars will replicate those created at cemeteries throughout the world, including Mexico, Central and South America and Europe. The blessing of the altars will occur at 8 p.m.
Immediately following the Mass, there will be a procession to the location of the altars, stopping at each one for an individual blessing. The All Souls’ Day celebration will continue with serenades and traditional Mexican music.
For information about constructing an altar for the All Souls’ Day celebration, please contact the Shrine at 847.294.1806 or visit www.santuarioguadalupe.org.
About the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Located at 1170 N. River Rd. in Des Plaines, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe has attracted millions of people as a place of pilgrimage since its humble beginnings.
On July 4, 1986, Rev. John Smyth accepted the missionary image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, brought from Mexico, for permanent display on the grounds of Maryville Academy. In 1997, Msgr. Esteban Martinez, from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, blessed the grounds and poured soil from the Tepeyac of Mexico onto the New Tepeyac of America, which was authorized by the Basilica to be a site to fulfill mandas (promises) to Our Lady. In 2013, Francis Cardinal George, OMI, decreed the land around where the image was placed to be a Shrine. Each year, on December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, thousands make the trip from parishes throughout the Archdiocese and the Midwest to honor Our Lady.
On April 21, 2018, the inaugural Mass for St. Joseph Chapel located on the grounds of the former gymnasium was celebrated. The Chapel represents only the third Church in the Archdiocese of Chicago largely funded by the Hispanic Catholic community. The first two locations are Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in South Chicago neighborhood and Misión San Juan Diego in Palatine.
