Media Advisory: Thousands Expected to ‘Walk with Mary’ through streets of Washington
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 12, 2025 |
CONTACT: Georgina Wilkinson 301-221-6226, [email protected] |
Thousands Expected to ‘Walk with Mary’
through streets of Washington
Media is invited to attend the pilgrimage that celebrates the cultural diversity of the local Catholic community
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington will host its annual Walk with Mary pilgrimage in honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, on Saturday, December 13, 2025. This year’s celebration will highlight a call to accompany and pray for migrants and refugees, reflecting the Church’s mission of compassion, solidarity, hope and peace.
The procession will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart (16th Street & Park Road NW) and will conclude at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (4th Street & Michigan Avenue NE).
Upon arrival at the Basilica, the Holy Rosary will be prayed at 1:00 p.m., followed by Mass at 2:00 p.m.celebrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy as principal celebrant, with Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjívar preaching the homily. Concelebrants will include Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, and Auxiliary Bishops Juan Esposito and Roy E. Campbell Jr.
For more than a decade, thousands of pilgrims from diverse cultures and backgrounds have walked side by side, lifting their voices in prayer and songs of praise. Along the way, participants celebrate the archdiocese’s rich cultural diversity and unity in Jesus Christ, while reflecting on the appearance of the young mestiza Virgin of Guadalupe to the peasant St. Juan Diego on a hilltop near Mexico City in 1531.
Within 10 years of the Lady’s appearance and her message of love, compassion, and unity – assuring all people that she is our mother and affirming the dignity and worth of every culture and life – between 9 and 10 million of Juan Diego’s fellow Indigenous people converted to Christianity. This remarkable conversion stands as a testament to the enduring power of faith and the profound impact of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s message.
2025 Walk with Mary Pilgrimage
Saturday, December 13, 2025
- 11:00 a.m. Procession begins at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart
- 1:00 p.m. Rosary at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
- 2:00 p.m. Mass at the Basilica
Reenactment of the apparition of the image of Our Lady in the cloak of St. Juan Diego before the liturgy
Photo Opportunities
- Procession through Washington streets beginning at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart
- Reenactment of the story of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe during the Mass
For further information, see news reports in the Catholic Standard and El Pregonero, the Archdiocese’s Facebook, Instagram and X pages, and the Walk with Mary information page.
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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is home to more than 655,000 Catholics, 140 parishes and 90 Catholic schools, located in Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.