CREATING A PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE
By Emmanuel Garcia
Photos by Tom Harris
There is a core belief in a “ manda ,” or pledge , to Our Lady of Guadalupe within the Latin American Catholic community . It involves asking Our Lady to intercede on behalf of the faithful . Should a request be granted , the devotee must complete a spiritual pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our
Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to honor their “ manda .” This journey serves as a humble way of giving thanks , resulting in millions of people visiting the Basilica every year . Unfortunately , not all faithful followers can complete their pilgrimage to the Basilica due to myriad reasons . As a result ,
The reborn interior of the Chapel of St . Joseph .
these followers struggle with an unfulfilled spiritual obligation .
After being officially declared a sister site to the Basilica in Mexico City in the late 1990s , the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines , Illinois offered Latinos in the United States an alternative destination to fulfill their obligation . Consequently ,
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