Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine

Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine — History

From a rented room on West 24th Street to a stone landmark on Avenida Cesar E. Chavez, the Shrine's history is the story of Kansas City's Mexican-American Catholic community. Founded in 1914 by Fr. José Muñoz — a Spanish priest who fled the Mexican Revolution and arrived in Kansas City on June 12, 1914 — the parish grew so quickly that within a year it had to move from a chapel in a Holly Street house to a store-front worship space at 1120 W. 24th Street. In 1919 the community purchased the former Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church at 23rd and Madison for $18,000 and dedicated it under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe on October 5, 1919, with every worshipper bringing a candle in the Mexican tradition. Run successively by diocesan, Augustinian Recollect, diocesan, Franciscan (OFM, 1929–1943), and again Augustinian priests, the parish hosted the founding of the Guadalupanas women's confraternity in 1937 and reached what longtime members call its 'golden age' under Fr. Damian Gobeo in 1948–1951. In 1990–91, when the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph consolidated it with nearby Sacred Heart Parish, community leaders organized the Shrine Association and persuaded Bishop John J. Sullivan to preserve the building as a shrine — the role it still plays today, more than a century after its founding.

From Parish to Shrine: The 1990 Consolidation

On October 12, 1990, Bishop John J. Sullivan announced that Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish would be consolidated with Sacred Heart Parish as part of a diocesan planning effort. The parish site moved to Sacred Heart at 2544 Madison Avenue, and the 23rd Street church was closed in February 1991. On January 13, 1991, the merged parish was given the name 'Our Lady of Guadalupe' (later changed to 'Sacred Heart–Guadalupe'), at the wish of the majority of parishioners, and in September 1992 the same name was given to the parish school. Faced with the loss of their historic church, supporters Ramona Arroyo, Teresa Sauceda and George Morales formed Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine Association, Inc., and successfully petitioned Bishop Sullivan to lease the building back as a shrine. The Association continues to steward the building and the annual novena and feast.

• Consolidation announced: October 12, 1990
• Church closed: February 1991
• Merged parish named: January 13, 1991
• Shrine Association formed and lease approved by Bishop Sullivan, 1991
• Parish name later changed to Sacred Heart–Guadalupe

Architecture, Stained Glass, and Art

The Shrine is a large stone church with a slate roof and a tall spire — an early-20th-century Lutheran Gothic-influenced structure originally built for $100,000 and sold to the Catholic community for $18,000. The only physical changes when it became a Catholic church were the removal of a Martin Luther portrait from one stained-glass window and the addition of an altar. The four large stained-glass windows still depict the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac in 1531; they were professionally repaired in the Summer of 1973 by Hopcroft Art & Stained Glass Works of Kansas City for $2,723. The center-altar image of Our Lady was painted by a local artist, and a painted statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe stands outside the church. The building seats roughly 600.

• Original construction cost: $100,000 (Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel)
• Sale price to the parish: $18,000
• Capacity: approximately 600
• Tepeyac stained-glass windows repaired 1973 by Hopcroft Art & Stained Glass Works

Novena and Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Every year from December 3 to 12, the Shrine hosts the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Novena, organized by Las Guadalupanas. The evenings include traditional songs, the rosary, Matachines dances, processions, and (for some nights) costumes; afterwards Mexican hot chocolate and pan dulce are served in the church basement. Most of the novena is conducted in Spanish, with translations on selected nights, and all are welcome on any day. The novena culminates in the December 12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe — the patronal feast of the Shrine and the most important date on the parish calendar — with the larger Fiesta / Festival of Our Lady of Guadalupe featuring traditional Mexican food, music, dance, and a Marching Band as a featured event.

• Novena dates: December 3 through December 12
• Languages: predominantly Spanish, with English translations on some evenings
• Traditions: Matachines dances, rosary, processions, costumes, Mexican hot chocolate and pastries
• December 12 feast with Fiesta / Festival

Ministries and Community Life

Parish and Shrine ministries are organized around bilingual (English and Spanish) faith formation, Marian devotion, and the stewardship of the historic building. Religious Education is led by Ramona Arroyo, a lifelong Westside resident and childhood member of the parish. Las Guadalupanas, the women's confraternity founded in 1937, are the spiritual heart of the Shrine, leading the novena, the feast, and ongoing lay leadership. The Matachinero tradition provides dance and procession during the novena and feast. A Finance Committee, chaired by John Fierro, is leading the current three-phase restoration of the Shrine, and a Hall Coordinator team (Raul & Estefania Espinosa) manages parish-hall events and rentals.

• Director of Religious Education: Ramona Arroyo
• Las Guadalupanas (La Sociedad de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), est. 1937
• Matachines / traditional dance ministry
• Fiesta / Festival committee
• Finance Committee (chair: John Fierro)
• Hall Coordinator team (Raul & Estefania Espinosa)
• Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine Association, Inc.

Restoration of the Shrine (2024–)

More than a century of Westside weather has left the Shrine visibly deteriorating — crumbling stairs, peeling paint, and water damage across the ceiling. In 2024 the parish launched a three-phase restoration estimated to cost up to $900,000. Phase 1 — the stairs, ceiling, and some exterior stones — was completed in the summer of 2024. Phase 2 will focus on the interior: repairing the flooring and repainting the walls. Phase 3 will tackle aging and crumbling exterior stonework. The Finance Committee, chaired by John Fierro, is raising the funds primarily from individual donors within the congregation, with strong support from longtime Westside families and from the broader Kansas City community. The effort is framed by parishioners not just as building repair but as an act of cultural preservation: 'To revitalize this structure shows that our culture is still there, the people are still there.'

• Estimated total cost: up to $900,000
• Phase 1 (stairs, ceiling, exterior stones): completed summer 2024
• Phase 2: interior flooring and repainting
• Phase 3: exterior stonework
• Funded primarily by individual donations from within the parish

Pastor, Staff, and Parish Office

The current pastor is Fr. Luis Felipe Suárez, a Colombian priest (from Cucunubá, near Bogotá) who was ordained May 23 for the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph after studies at Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut; he attributes his vocation in part to the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Director of Religious Education is Ramona Arroyo, a Westside native and lifelong parishioner who is also the public face of the Shrine's preservation. Parish administrative staff support the office at 2544 Madison Avenue, which is open Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM.

• Pastor: Fr. Luis Felipe Suárez ([email protected], ext. 23)
• Director of Religious Education: Ramona Arroyo ([email protected], ext. 21)
• Parish Secretary / Administration: Araceli B. ([email protected], ext. 22)
• Office: 2544 Madison Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64108; phone 816-599-7242 (alt 816-842-6146); fax 816-394-9702
• Office hours: Mon–Fri 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM