Despite the low temperatures, pilgrims broke records of attendance at the Basilica of Guadalupe…
MEXICO CITY – With the attendance of more than seven and a half million pilgrims, the record of visits to the Basilica of Guadalupe was broken. Last year, 7,196,000 people attended to give thanks and ask for blessings to the Patroness of Mexico.
The delegation Gustavo A. Madero (the zone of Mexico City where the sanctuary is located) reported that during the operation “Amigo Peregrino” (Pilgrim Friend) deployed since Saturday December 9, five shelters were installed with capacity for more than 10 thousand people, eight drones were used for surveillance, seven mega screens were placed to disseminate information and more than 200 thousand liters of water were distributed.
Aerial view of the complex of the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico CIty, with the new building to the left where the Virgin’s Image is kept, the old building in the center and the old chapel on the top the hill. (Photo: labombilla.com.mx)
This year, sales of religious items in stores in the area also increased.
According to a local vendor, the operation “Amigo Peregrino” on this occasion favored everyone. The main objective of the delegation is the care and protection of the pilgrim, but this time the roadblocks became wider. There was a lot of traffic, and people walked around the area, so that the established shops were selling more than the previous years when only the roving vendors were the ones that had good sales.
The 254 businesses located around the Basilica respected the Alcohol Prohibition Law that began on Tuesday December 12 and ended on Wednesday at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, so no closure of any establishment was made.
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