In the early hours of the morning, worshippers piled into St. Joseph's Chapel for morning Mass.
It was just the beginning of Thursday's celebrations for the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe honoring Jesus' mother Mary.
"It's something beautiful to me," Carlos Gamboa from Hoffman Estates said. "It's something meaningful. It's giving things to the Virgin Mary for helping me out through my personal tough year, coming here and thinking for her blessings to still be here."
Catholics make the pilgrimage to the Shrine in Des Plaines every year.
It's a sacred and holy ritual for thousands of people across the country - and around the world.
"I'm here because I have the faith in our lady Guadalupe, and it's our tradition to be here," Guadalupe Terrazas said.
Namesake Guadalupe Terrazas came from Texas. She's come every year as long as she can remember.
"I'm so glad to see people here even though it's too cold," Terrazas said.
This is the largest gathering of its kind outside of Mexico.
People brought roses to lay at the shrine and candles below, a long-standing family tradition.
"Now it's our turn. It's something we got brought up into," Eliud Raygosa said. "Now we try to keep that tradition and our religious beliefs to continue you know."
It's all about sacrifice, the pilgrims said.
One family came from the Hermosa neighborhood. Some walked and braved the cold.
"We walked almost half way," Jennifer Ramos said. "But it's too cold and with the baby we couldn't do all of it. My cousin and my brother and my other cousin they all walked all seven hours."
Even with wind chills -7 below, the frigid temperatures did not deterring these faithful.
More services and events will be held throughout the day with the final closing mass at 7 p.m..