Thousands make trek to Des Plaines to pray

The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to Mundelein resident Juana Ramirez at her job cleaning an office desk: a miracle in the mundane.She saw the image in a coffee stain she found on the desk.Her 3-month-old granddaughter was rushed to a hospital the next day. On Tuesday night, Ramirez clutched a small frame holding the cut-out coffee image next to a photo of the Virgin of Guadalupe. It's been three days since young Kimberly needed medical care for a virus. Earlier in the day, the baby was released from the hospital -- so Ramirez wants to say" "Thank you."Her 16-year-old daughter, Yuritzy Garcia, also has come to pray at the Virgin of Guadalupe shrine at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines to make good on a promise. Doctors had predicted a longer stay for Garcia's baby. In exchange for helping her baby heal faster, Garcia vowed to come to the shrine. "I told (the Virgin of Guadalupe) I was going to light candles," Garcia said. Garcia was among tens of thousands of faithful honoring Mexico's Catholic icon in Des Plaines over a two-day celebration that began Tuesday night. Followers planned to stay well into this morning, celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe with early-morning religious songs, poetry and dance followed by Masses throughout the day.Tradition says the Virgin Mary appeared to a man named Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin outside Mexico City from Dec. 9 to Dec. 12, 1531.Countless portraits and statues of the Virgin of Guadalupe adorn Catholic churches and shrines throughout the United States, but the Des Plaines outdoor shrine is the only one in the country recognized as a sanctuary allowing the faithful to express their wishes, according to the Archdiocese of Chicago. When asked why he will brave the predicted freezing rain all night to worship and celebrate, 48-year-old Jose Ortiz of Des Plaines placed his hand on the cross around his neck and said, "This is my faith."His brother, 27-year-old Isaac Ortiz, will join him. "We feel close to our family (in Mexico). It reminds us of our culture. We came here to remember our country, and all the history," Isaac Ortiz said. The feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe brings followers from across the Chicago area to Des Plaines. For the first time, Des Plaines police decided to close Central Road to traffic for the feast. Just before fireworks were to be set off, a group led by Joaquin Martinez, who dedicated his life to ensure a home for veneration of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, marched down the closed road as musicians played brass instruments. They had gathered at a house in Des Plaines and decided to parade to the celebration. The faithful shared a devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Iadira Valentin, 18, of Chicago, came to celebrate the special day. "And to show the different ways that we're thankful for everything," Valentin said.It's also a special day for all those named Guadalupe. Valentin's niece Guadalupe will turn 11 years old today. She was so named because her birthday falls on the feast day. 438512Click on image to enlarge