Luján Pilgrimage: Millions trek to Basilica amid heavy rain

The 52nd Youth Pilgrimage to the Basilica of Luján has commenced in Argentina, drawing an estimated crowd of between one and two million people. Despite heavy rain and storms affecting the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, thousands of faithful began the 60-kilometer trek from the San Cayetano Sanctuary in Liniers toward the Basilica.

The event is held under the theme ‘Mother, in your embrace we recognize each other as brothers’ and serves as a spiritual prelude to the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to Argentina in November. During the central mass, Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva called for national unity and fraternity, urging citizens to overcome social divisions and intolerance.

A massive security and health operation is underway, involving thousands of volunteers, mobile hospitals, and various provincial ministries to provide medical assistance, hydration, and logistical support along the route through several Buenos Aires districts. The pilgrimage is a long-standing tradition that has been held annually since 1975.