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Father Andres Beltran gives a blessing as over 300 riders from various cowboy clubs from the Chicago area make their way to place a rose at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines on Dec. 6. The pilgrimage was part of a pre-celebration for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec 12. More than 100,000 people make a pilgrimage to the shrine each year for feast day, which celebrates the appearance of Mary to indigenous peasant St. Juan Diego in 1531 near present-day Mexico City.

Photo: Karen Callaway / Catholic New World