Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines to host Independence Day Mass

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe will celebrate Independence Day, as well as the 30th anniversary of the arrival of the missionary image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with an outdoor Mass at the shrine.

The Mass will be 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at 1170 North River Road in Des Plaines.

The outdoor Mass will be celebrated by former Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Rev. Plácido Rodríguez and 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 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 traveled to the U.S. to find work, among them many worshippers at the Des Plaines shrine.