Politics & Government
Concerns Over ICE May Hinder Attendance For Annual Religious Festival In Des Plaines
The Feast Of Our Lady Of Guadalupe, which begins Thursday, typically brings thousands of worshipers to the area.
DES PLAINES, IL — Every year, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe brings thousands of Catholic pilgrims to the area to celebrate the patron saint of Mexico, but 2025 hasn't been typical for many planning to attend the two-day event. Scheduled to start Thursday, there's a chance fewer people make their way to the Shrine of Guadalupe due to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the area.
"I've been calling on the community to take some courage and come to the pilgrimage," Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector at Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe since 2016, said Monday. "However, if people don't feel safe, if people don't feel comfortable in coming to the pilgrimage for whatever reason, be it the weather, age, illnesses, or whatever concerns they might have, it's ok."
According to believers, the Lady of Guadalupe is the Virgin Mary, who miraculously appeared in 1531 to St. Juan Diego, an indigenous Aztec convert, in Mexico. Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of Mexico and the Americas. The festival at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is among the largest gatherings to honor the Virgin Mary in the world.
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Last month, a federal judge ordered the release on bond of up to 615 migrants arrested in the area in a ruling that called the arrests "warrantless." The ruling received blowback from the Department of Homeland Security, which launched "Operation Midway Blitz" in September, under the guise of targeting criminals. As reported by CBS News, data released Monday shows that only 15 percent of those detained in the Chicago area had a prior criminal conviction.
"Folks are concerned about their well-being, particularly concerning the operations, concerning our homeland security," Sanchez said during an interview with Fox 32 Chicago. "That's caused a pause for people doing a lot of things."
Find out what's happening in Des Plainesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Despite the concerns, the festival still has a full schedule of events planned for each day. The celebration begins at 8 p.m. Thursday, with the opening Mass in the Plaza. The celebrations end with the closing Mass at 7 p.m. Friday, in the St. Joseph Chapel.
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