Archbishop José H. Gomez celebrated a Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City during the first archdiocesan pilgrimage with the archbishop to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

During the July 8 Mass, the archbishop presented hundreds of prayer requests asking for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He collected requests during a Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels recognizing the contributions of all immigrants to the U.S. Requests were also collected on TheNextAmerica.org.

“I am really looking forward to this time of prayer and devotion so we can show our love for our Blessed Mother,” Archbishop Gomez said. “I will be carrying with me and offering the prayers of the whole family of God and especially the prayers that we all have for our families on both sides of the borders. Let’s ask the Virgin to go with us and guide and help us to grow in our love for God and our brothers and sisters.”

More than 100 pilgrims made the journey to the shrine that houses the original tilma (cloak) of St. Juan Diego, on which Our Lady of Guadalupe left her miraculous image in 1531. For nearly 500 years, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been the symbol of hope, peace and love, uniting peoples around the world as one family of God. The basilica at Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world.

Prayer requests will continue to be collected at TheNextAmerica.org. They will be presented during the next archdiocesan pilgrimage Mass to the basilica on July 7, 2018. The dates of next year’s pilgrimage are July 5-9, 2018. For more information, call 213-637-7636