It's a tradition they're holding in tandem with their friends and family in Mexico, bringing offerings to the Virgin Mary, thanking her for what they've received this year, and leaving her with prayers for the upcoming year.

DES PLAINES, Ill. - The faithful are braving the cold Thursday night to honor the Virgin Mary in Des Plaines. Today marks the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a celebration dedicated to Mexico's patron saint. Thousands are making their annual pilgrimage to the shrine, participating in what has become the largest event of its kind in the nation.

The Catholic tradition — marked across the Inland Empire — commemorates the Virgin Mary’s 1531 appearance to a peasant in Mexico.

The feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe led many people to drive to the Servants of Mary Center for Peace Shrine Thursday to celebrate.

The events highlighted the cultural, as well as the religious, importance of Our Lady of Guadalupe among the city’s diverse Latin American communities.

The bitter cold is not stopping followers of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Celebrations continued through the night, with crowds walking for hours to the shrine in Des Plaines. Despite the weather every year,

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