Our Lady of the Expressway

On Chicago’s northwest side, La Virgen de Guadalupe appeared on an underpass of the Kennedy Expressway… at least that’s what multitudes of the faithful believe. A stain formed on a section of the concrete wall, and it hardly could have been a more accurate silhouette of the Guadalupe than if an artist had painted it. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the stain is the result of “salt run-off”… but to the Guadalupanos the “stain” is divine. Since its appearance on Monday April 18th, hundreds of the faithful have visited the area to leave flowers and candles, as well as to tape sacred art to the walls. Believers in Tonatzin-Guadalupe, the brown skinned savior of the poor and downtrodden, gather around the image at the underpass to kneel and pray. With rosary beads in hand, in their eyes they have witnessed a miracle. Sturdy working men in their work clothes and mothers with their children stand solemnly before the image, entreating Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe for the strength to overcome their daily burdens. A steady stream of devotees flock to the expressway, so many that local police have begun to patrol the streets to monitor the traffic jams. The Illinois Department of Transportation says it has no plans to scrub the image off the wall. “We're treating this just like we treat any type of roadside memorial, we have no plans to clean this site.”