October 29, 1893 is the first pilgrimage of workers to the feet of our mother, the Virgin of Luján, patron saint of Argentina. Thanks to the priest Federico Grote, founder of the Federation of Catholic Workers' Circles, some 400 workers made a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Luján, which is built from the first miracle of the Virgin Mary in these lands, which was her image remaining on the banks of the Luján River. in the year 1630 and under the care of her first devotee, Manuel de los Ríos, popularly known as Negro Manuel, an African slave who initiates the worship, speaks with her and thanks to the oil from the candles that he placed with her imposition on the first miracles of healing occur among the sick. It was then that, at the end of the 19th century, Leo XIII was the first Pope to write an encyclical letter, called “Rerum Novarum”, in defense of workers. During those years, the workers were fighting for their rights against the exploitation of capital and the church supported them, although it did not share violence and anarchy as a method of response of the poor-working people in the face of the total absence of labor rights. It was in this context that Grote, a German priest from the congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (called Redemptorists), arrived in Argentina and embodied the defense of the exploited along the lines of “Rerum Novarum.” In his memoirs, compiled in the book “The Life of Father Grote, the Apostle of the Workers” by the priest Alfredo Sánchez Gamarra, it is described that 130 years ago he was organizing the pilgrimage to Luján: “I wanted to put the work under the protection of the Virgin so that she herself would be in charge of moving it forward. October 29 was the decisive day in the life of the circles. 400 men accompanied me to Luján. Before the Virgin we swore to remain firm in our purpose of redeeming the humble, and we made the vows to attend every year en masse before her image so that she would keep our persevering energy intact” her memory was recorded by Sánchez Gamarra. “The pilgrims were accompanied by a music band from the Círculo Central school and numerous Argentine flags. The vicar general of Buenos Aires, Monsignor Agustín Boneo, wanted to preside over the pilgrims to Luján,” says the book “Father Federico Grote, a missionary among the workers” by Roberto Etcheverry. Three years later, 4,000 workers accompanied by the then archbishop Monsignor Castellano made the pilgrimage.