Our Lady of Guadalupe sculpture makes appearance in Des Plaines
A life-size sculpture of the “Pilgrim Mother” — Our Lady of Guadalupe — made its first U.S. stop in Des Plaines Wednesday as part of an international tour.
In her honor, various prayer events and cultural activities were held at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 1170 N. River Road, in Des Plaines, as well as at several Archdiocese of Chicago parishes.
Thousands of people, mostly Latino, solemnly celebrated Mass in three languages Wednesday evening at the Des Plaines shrine. It was followed by the unveiling of the sculpture, which traveled from the Basilica in Mexico City.
Its tour commemorates the 500th anniversary of the apparitions on Tepeyac hill — refers to the Virgin Mary’s appearance in December 1531 to an Indigenous man, Juan Diego, requesting a shrine be built on a hill near modern-day Mexico City.
The exhibition will be open to the public in the St. Joseph Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and remain on display there through Sept. 30.
Wednesday’s veneration — symbolizing peace, unity, and the renewal of faith — included two digital reproductions of the original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, one of Saint Juan Diego, and the realistic life-size sculpture of Our Lady, all of which have been blessed by the Rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Monsignor Efraín Hernández Díaz.
“This veneration experience will awaken a renewed sense of devotion and will build the ties between our nations,” said Hernández Díaz. “We hope it may inspire new generations to discover the profound significance of being Guadalupan.”
The event included original music and narrated reflections recounting the history of the Tepeyac apparitions.
The Our Lady sculpture was created by noted Mexican artist Jorge Ismael Rodríguez.
After the exhibit in Des Plaines, the sculpture will be moved to St. Gall Parish in Chicago, where it will be on display Oct. 1-14, and to the Mother of the Americas Parish, also in Chicago, Oct. 15-28.