North America is not the most obvious choice for religious travel, but it has a lot more to offer than most people expect, with old Spanish missions, grand basilicas and sites that are sacred to Native American communities.
In Mexico City, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe gets millions of pilgrims every year, especially around December 12. Some travelers prefer the quieter adobe missions of the American Southwest, which are often still in use, while others are more interested in the old stone churches of Quebec City. Places like Salt Lake City and Montreal also have major religious buildings that are easy to include in a regular city trip, even if you only have an afternoon.
Many of these places are active churches, so it is good to check service times before you go and to keep your voice down when people are praying. Some also have small museums about their history.
