Faithful brave cold weather to flock to Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Illinois
DES PLAINES, Ill. (CBS) -- A throng of Roman Catholics made a pilgrimage to northwest suburban Des Plaines Wednesday for the largest gathering of devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration began at 8 p.m. Wednesday and was to continue through the night, and frigid temperatures did not deter the faithful from gathering to honor the Virgin Mother.
There was dancing for Our Lady of Guadalupe in front of the shrine that bears her image. Others paid their respects, and asked the Blessed Virgin to answer their prayers by walking to the Shrine on their knees.
Blessings were handed out at the entrance, as the faithful brought flowers, and candles as offerings for the Virgin Nary.
Everyone was more than willing to brave biting winds and temperatures in the 20s.
"Our primary task is to take care of the pilgrims as they come and they make this wonderful pledge—this wonderful celebration and expression of their faith and hope," said the Very Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. "We take care of them, and whatever they may need, we're ready to go."
As the temperature was set to drop dramatically Wednesday night, a concession tent was set up for the faithful to get warm and enjoy hot drinks and food.
Lysette Martinez, a volunteer from Lombard, worked the warming tent.
"I have nothing to ask for," Martinez said. "I am really blessed. That's why."
The numbers of people who got in the tenet picked up as the temperature dropped.
"I mean, I see like happy people that are emotional about the Virgin," Martinez said. "I mean, it's very, very special day for all of us, because it's our mother."
Sanchez said in the past, the conditions have defied the kind of weather that was expected Wednesday evening.
"We've had snow blizzards come at us. We've had 4 inches come at us, of snow, slush, below zero," he said. "We had many occasions where we had to take care of people medically and, we're ready for that. But it's something that we're not stopping. We can't stop it. That's why we say we're at the service of those who come."
Gabriela Ortiz had a very special reason to visit the shrine Wednesday.
"We've been very blessed thanks to the Virgin Mary," said Ortiz, who traveled up from the city of Chicago.
As Ortiz spoke to CBS News Chicago, her husband held their son Santiago—wrapped in a warm blanket. Ortiz gave birth Santiago one month ago, and said she prayed to Our Lady of Guadalupe continuously during her pregnancy.
"We had to have a C-section, and it was very scary, and we just devoted ourselves to the Virgin Mary and we said, 'You know, whatever needs to happen is going to happen, and we hope everything comes out well,' and thankfully, she blessed us," said Ortiz, "and he's healthy, and I'm healthy and we're both good."
Martha Rodriguez walked five or six miles to the shrine from her home parish after mass last year.
"I said I have to be there for the rosary," she said.
This time, she came early and stood longer in the cold.
"We deal with this weather, and this wind is hard," Martinez said.
Carlos Reyes said he now has hopes for people without legal status—and those who suffer around the world—because he knows the power of Guadalupe.
"My daughter was very sick, and I came here and prayed for her and cried," he said.
Reyes says he prayed for his daughter's health in 2002 when she was hospitalized, and got a miracle.
"My daughter, she came out of the hospital feeling much better," Reyes said, "and since then, you know, she's still alive."
The shrine in Des Plaines is modeled after Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City, where the Virgin Mary left her image on the clock of indigenous Mexican St. Juan Diego as proof of her apparition.
Devotions at Our Lady of Guadalupe will continue through Thursday, with a closing mass at 7 p.m.
Last year, 400,000 pilgrims from the Chicago area and beyond came to the Shrine to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is the 11th year for the celebration.
