Almost 10 Million Pilgrims Gather to Pray in Basilica de Guadaloupe in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Close to 10 million pilgrims arrived at Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Tepeyac hill in Mexico City to revere the 488th anniversary of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the most worshiped shrine in Latin America, David Leon Romero, national coordinator of Civil Protection of Mexico, said on Thursday.

"By 7 a.m. [13:00 GMT] on Thursday, 9.8 million people were registered in the atrium", Romero said at a press conference.

According to the official, incidents since the influx of pilgrims so far included one fatality due to natural reasons, four complaints of robbery filed with the police, and 7,000 instances of people requesting medical assistance.

📹VIDEO: 10 million people are visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to celebrate her feast and sing Las Mañanitas as is tradition each December 12th. #Guadalupe is one of the most beloved Marian devotions all over the world. pic.twitter.com/Rujgdyh1Fa

— EWTN IRELAND (@ewtnireland) December 12, 2019

The history of the Virgin of Guadalupe, also known as the Dark Virgin, dates back to 12 December 1531, when she first appeared to Juan Diego, an indigenous of Cuautitlan municipality. A church was built near where it happened and a cloak with the Virgin's image is stored there. Hundreds of thousands from Latin America and beyond gather to worship the shrine every year.