Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Celebrate the 4th of July and the 30th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Iconic Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a Special Mass
Des Plaines, IL (June 30, 2017) – The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe will celebrate Independence Day as well as the 30th anniversary of the arrival there of the missionary image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with an outdoor Mass at the Shrine, 1170 North River Road in Des Plaines, at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4.
The Mass, to be celebrated at the outdoor grotto, will be concelebrated by former Chicago Auxiliary Bishop, Most Rev. Plácido Rodríguez, CMF and Very Rev. Esequiel Sánchez, Rector of the Shrine. Immediately following the Mass, there will be a procession of horses and riders from the entrance to the Shrine, located on Central Road, to the outdoor grotto where Bishop Rodríguez will bless both American and Mexican flags. The celebration will conclude with the National Anthem of the United States followed by traditional Mexican folkloric dances.
The flags blessed at the ceremony will be transported to Mexico and placed near the monument of Christ the King located in San Ciro de Acosta, in the state of San Luis Potosí. The monument is estimated to be 35 meters high and is dedicated to the large number of local residents who have travelled to the U.S. to find work, among them many worshippers at the Des Plaines Shrine.
About the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Located at 1170 North River Road 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, Fr. 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 satisfy 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 pay their respects.
Currently, a campaign is underway to raise funds to build an indoor worship space to accommodate the more than 6,000 worshipers who visit weekly.
For a Spanish version of the release, please click here.
