Pilgrim Mother, a life-sized sculpture of the Virgin Mary, kicks off world tour with stop in Chicago area

Hundreds of Catholics from across the Chicago area gathered Wednesday to see the Pilgrim Mother, a life-size statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The holy sculpture, which was blessed at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, arrived at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines for the first stop in a spiritual tour.

The statue will then embark on a worldwide journey, with planned stops in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Colombia and other countries, culminating in the 500th Anniversary Jubilee of her apparitions in 2031.

The faithful in the Chicago area got the first glimpse of the Pilgrim Mother following a Mass Wednesday evening.

Beatriz Medina, of Hanover Park, had tears in her eyes as she gazed at the sculpture and said she felt grateful to be in the Virgin Mary’s presence.

“Her arrival is a very big emotion,” said Medina. “It’s a blessing to have her here with us, when so many of us need it. There aren’t enough words to describe how it feels to be in her presence.”

Medina said the sculpture’s arrival was a blessing for people who aren’t able to travel to Mexico and visit the site of the apparitions in Tepeyac.

“A mother never abandons her children,” said Medina. “There are so many people who can’t go see her in Mexico but now she’s come here for us.”

Catholics believe the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531, leaving her image imprinted on his cloak.

The sculpture was created by Mexican artist Jorge Ismael Rodríguez who said he hoped the image of the Virgin Mary would spark conversations about peace and love.

“We are in a difficult time where the narrative is more about confrontation than unity,” Rodriguez told the Sun-Times. “The Virgin is a factor of unity and a factor of peace and love.”

Madeline Colon-Usowicz, a devotee of Our Lady of Guadalupe, had come to Chicago for a conference and was searching for a Catholic church to attend Mass when she happened upon the pilgrimage.

“It felt like a calling from God,” said Colon-Usowicz, of Massachusetts “I’ve been going through so many things in life, like the recent passing of my father. … It’s like I was meant to be here.”

Colon-Usowicz said she felt like the sculpture’s arrival was “a call to action to be better and grow closer to Jesus.

“When she appeared to Juan Diego, she was calling us to Jesus,” she said. “She presented Him to the world, and she’s still doing that same thing today.”

The statue is part of an exhibit that includes two digital reproductions of the original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe and one of Saint Juan Diego. It will also offer original music and narrated reflections recounting the history of the Tepeyac apparitions.

Guests must register online to visit the exhibit.