'Altar Of Miracles': Des Plaines Church Seeks Funds After Arson Fire

DES PLAINES, IL — Following an arson fire that caused nearly $80,000 in damage, the Shrine of Our Lady Guadalupe is hoping to raised funds to reconstruct an outdoor chapel. In addition to the chapel, several pieces of statuary and sacred art were also damaged.

Organizers of the GoFundMe campaign are trying to raise $50,000. As of Friday afternoon, $15,598 has been raised.

"Although we are very saddened by the painful vandalism, we wish that through the help of our community, we can reconstruct the outdoor Chapel of the Resurrected Christ, also known as 'the Altar of Miracles,'" the GoFundMe campaign reads. "Pilgrims visit for many reasons: some seek hope, others express gratitude; however, all come with prayers and express love to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers, and together we will rebuild this sacred space."

An Arlington Heights woman is being charged with felony arson following the Tuesday morning fire that caused $78,000 in damage at The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Virginia Roque-Fermin, 41, of the 4200 block of Jennifer Lane, is accused of starting the fire and then continuing it by throwing various objects onto the blaze, according to police.

Bond for Roque-Fermin was set at $200,000 Wednesday by Cook County Circuit Court Associate Judge Anthony Calabrese at the Skokie Courthouse. She is due back in court on June 8.

After police responded to the fire at the church at around 2:31 a.m., officers said Roque-Fermin was walking quickly away from the fire and observed soot on the front of her clothes prior to her detainment.

Officers attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher, but were unsuccessful. The Des Plaines Fire Department was able to put out the fire upon arrival.

According to police, the shrine is kept under video surveillance, which officers were able to view. Police said the surveillance footage shows Roque-Fermin carrying objects, including statues, buckets, chairs, and planter pots, toward the cave/grotto area of the shrine. She then starts a fire with a lighter and continues to carry surrounding objects toward the fire to stoke the flames.

In the video, after starting the fire, Roque-Fermin is seen pulling a statue off of a donation box, pulling flowers out of vases in the grotto, removing a rosary, stacking chairs and moving items, according to Minx. She said another video angle shows Roque-Fermin starting the fire inside the cave and grabbing candles, crosses and signs. She is then seen throwing the items into the fire, which causes the fire to enlarge.

Annually in December, thousands of Catholic pilgrims visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico. The two-day gathering in Des Plaines is one of the largest in the world outside of Mexico.

According to the shrine's website, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe finding as a shrine of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Universal Catholic Church.

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