‘A real balm’: Catholics headed to Des Plaines this week in annual pilgrimage

Amid the anxiety and turmoil related to federal immigration enforcement activities, the leader of a Catholic shrine in Des Plaines said pilgrims will pray for peace, President Donald Trump, Gov. JB Pritzker and other politicians during a large gathering there this week.

Politics and politicians aside, the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is an opportunity “for all of us to come together and share our concerns for one another,” the Very Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, said at a news conference Monday.

The feast is scheduled for Thursday and Friday at Maryville Academy, 1170 North River Road. It commemorates reported visions of Jesus' mother, Mary, in Mexico in 1531.

The event typically draws as many as 300,000 people from across the U.S. Most make the pilgrimage “because there’s a great need in their life,” Sanchez said.

“An experience such as this is a real balm, a real healing, for them,” he said.

The celebration will begin at noon Thursday with prayers in the plaza at the shrine. Another prayer session is set for 7 p.m.

A bilingual, opening Mass is set for 8 p.m. Other activities will include a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. and a midnight Mass.

Masses, prayers and other activities will continue Friday, culminating with a closing Mass at 7 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Joseph.

Feast events will be livestreamed at facebook.com/ShrineGuadalupe and youtube.com/@santuarioguadalupe.

While access to the shrine is free, parking there is limited and will cost $15 between 4 p.m. Thursday and 3 a.m. Friday, and again from 3-8 p.m. Friday. Parking at the shrine outside those hours is free.

Free parking will be available both days at three remote locations:

· St. Emily Catholic Church, 1400 E. Central Road in Mount Prospect, from 8 p.m. Thursday to 6:30 a.m. Friday and again from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday.

· Palwaukee Plaza, 664 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Prospect Heights, from 4 p.m. Thursday to 3 a.m. Friday and again from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday;

· Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road in Des Plaines, from 9 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday and again from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday.

Free shuttle buses will run between 6 p.m. Thursday and 3 a.m. Friday.

Central Road will be closed between Wolf and East River roads between 5 p.m. Thursday and around 9 p.m. Friday to accommodate people walking to and from the feast, police Cmdr. Matt Bowler said. Drivers should expect heavy traffic on River, Wold and Golf roads, he said.

During Monday’s news conference, Sanchez repeatedly spoke about the immigration policies that have frightened millions of immigrants and U.S. citizens. As he did in a recent Daily Herald interview, Sanchez said it’s OK if devout Catholics skip the event because of that fear.

For more information, visit solg.org.