Massive Our Lady of Guadalupe Pilgrims Outpour Filled Mexico City Basilica

On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arrived at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. This was the day before the Day of the Virgin Mary, which will be celebrated in person for the first time in two years because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Faithful people from all over the country walked through the capital city's streets on their way to the big cathedral. The atmosphere was religious and joyful, full of faith and hope.

"Obviously, this year there have been more attendees than in the two prior years (due to) the pandemic," said Eduardo Hernandez, a university student who lives in the nearby town of Chimalhuacan.

According to La Prensa Latina, people came to the basilica after traveling for hours or days, often on foot, to spend a few minutes with their "mother," as they call the Virgin Mary.

They will sing "Happy Birthday" to her, pray, ask her to grant their wishes, and thank her for her blessings.

Gilberto Ortiz, an electrical engineer, came to the cathedral to thank God for his employment and health. He credited the Virgin Mary with keeping them safe during the pandemic.

The mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, predicted at a press conference last Thursday that 10 million people would flock to the basilica to celebrate the Day of the Virgin once the pandemic restrictions were released.

According to the Citizen Safety Secretariat, "Welcome, Pilgrim - 2022" will employ 5,400 police officers and 20,000 public officials to assist the tourists.

Tons of Pilgrimage Goers Flood the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe Without Anti-COVID Measures

Thousands of devotees have flocked to La Villa before the traditional Mañanitas to the Virgin. As of Saturday night, at 8, 377,245 pilgrims had arrived, according to the Gustavo A. Madero mayor's office.

As the epidemic peaked last year, stronger steps were implemented to prevent it from spreading.

The mask policy, the constant sanitization of the temple's gates, and the free distribution of antibacterial gel have all been discontinued.

But the faith and emotion of those who are too tired to do anything else but kneel, ride their bikes, or walk to the Basilica of Guadalupe on the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe never fade away, said The Yucatan Times.

Some pilgrimage goers take a break to regain strength and prepare to stay in the religious area, even if it is cold.

The Secretariat of Integral Risk Management and Civil Protection put out a yellow alert for this Sunday because dawn temperatures are expected to be between 4 and 5 degrees.

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of Americas

The tale of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe depicts a conquered people who overcame their oppressors by capturing and recounting the central religious beliefs of the Spanish and the Aztec cultures.

One of the most crucial turning points in the history of the Americas occurred in 1531 when a poor Indian saw a pregnant mestiza princess.

With the help of the Aztec religion and culture, it transformed the Spanish devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary into a representation of God's maternal concern.

The National Catholic Reported noted that the heavenly lady instructed Juan Diego to ask the bishop to construct a church over the location of the apparition. This was supported by the miraculous imprinting of the image on the peasant's cloak.

Due to the union of these two disparate religions, Mexico, Latin America, and the entire Western Hemisphere saw a significant historical transformation.

Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill on December 12, 1531.

Juan Diego was an indigenous person who lived in colonial Mexico and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

The basilica was built on that spot to remember the miraculous event.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Devotion to Virgin Mary draws millions to Mexico City - From Associated Press