Driven by faith and love for the Virgin of Guadalupe, pilgrims from across Mexico arrived by truck, bicycle and on foot this week, descending on the Basilica of Guadalupe shrine, built on the site where Catholics believe the Virgin Mary appeared nearly 500 years ago.
The Mexico City government estimated that approximately 13 million people had arrived in the vicinity of the Basilica as of 5 a.m. Friday.
Roads near the Basilica were closed to vehicular traffic, more than 5,000 police and security forces were deployed, and medical facilities were set up inside and outside the Basilica.
Local officials in the northern borough of Gustavo A. Madero expect thousands more to pass through the area through Sunday.
According to church tradition, in December 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to the Indigenous campesino Juan Diego, a convert, on four occasions. Her image was miraculously imprinted on his cloak, which is on display inside the church.
The Dec. 12 holiday known as the Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe honors the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Mexico, and has become a vibrant expression of Catholic faith and Mexican identity. Of particular significance, the Virgin of Guadalupe has brown skin, a detail that is said to have helped evangelists convert millions of local Indigenous peoples in the decade after her apparition.
President Claudia Sheinbaum — who canceled her daily morning news conference in honor of the Catholic feast day — said she had spoken with Pope Leo XIV to invite him to visit Mexico.
In a social media message posted on Friday morning, Sheinbaum said that the pope “sends blessings and greetings to all on this Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.”
Sheinbaum, who describes herself as culturally Jewish, though non-religious, said that she and the pope agreed that “beyond the religion that each person professes and the secularity of the State, the Virgin of Guadalupe is a symbol of identity and peace for Mexican women and men.”
Earlier Friday, Pope Leo celebrated a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a tradition begun under Pope John Paul II, a famous devotee of “La Morenita.” In 1999, John Paul officially declared Our Lady of Guadalupe as the Patroness of the Americas.
Morenita linda. Gracias por regalarme todas tus bendiciones. Hoy en tu día te canto con todo mi corazón, agradeciéndote que cubres con tu manto mi camino y el de todos los que amo. 🌹💖
Que viva nuestra Virgen de Guadalupe! pic.twitter.com/lDNqabYJPM— Lucero (@LuceroMexico) December 12, 2025
Although pilgrims celebrate the feast day by traveling to the shrine in northern Mexico City throughout December, the celebration begins in earnest on Dec. 11 with an all-night vigil featuring traditional serenades, indigenous dances such as the Santiagueros, mariachi music, processions, prayers, offerings of roses and blessings, culminating at midnight with singing to honor the Virgin Mary.
The list of stars and celebrities who sang to the Virgin this year is lengthy, and includes Lucero, Lila Downs, Carlos Rivera, Guadalupe Pineda and Mariana Gurrola, Tatiana and the mariachi group Fiesta de México.
There is no shortage of stories describing humble pilgrims journeying to Mexico’s most-venerated shrine as devout acts of faith, penitence and thanks. They carry giant images of the Virgin of Guadalupe on their backs, or wear pendants and medals around their necks.
Many travel up to 100 miles and more, sleeping under the stars during their trek, often crawling on their knees as they approach the Basilica.
VATICAN
Thousands of Catholics, mostly Mexican, sing inside Saint Peter’s Basilica as they honour Our Lady of Guadalupe with Pope Leo XIV pic.twitter.com/boQfoiVPnj
— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) December 12, 2025
The faithful come bearing roses, asking for help with matters of health and of heart, praying for the souls of deceased relatives and loved ones. Others gratefully express thanks for miracles they attribute to the Virgin.
In Mexico there are more than 10,000 temples, chapels and altars dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego, comprising nearly one out of every 10 places of religious worship in the country.
The Guadalupan image is displayed in homes and chapels throughout Latin America. Processions in Guatemala, Ecuador and Colombia mirror the customs practiced in Mexico, while murals and banners frequently invoke her as a protector of migrants and the poor.
With reports from The Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, N+, Newsday and National Catholic Reporter
Source: Mexico News Daily
