Marian Pilgrimmage

 In Wisconsin...

...there is a site of a Marian apparition that occurred in 1859.  A Marian apparition is when Mary, Jesus mother, appears to someone.  She usually has a message.  There are many apparitions in Europe but only one that has been approved by the church in the United States and that is just outside Champion, Wisconsin.  I learned about this apparition in January and I just really wanted to go!  I asked my mom if she would like to meet me there and we made our plans.  It was a short trip, we both flew into Green Bay on Sunday, March 12th.  We spent all of Monday, March 13th at the apparition site and then we both flew back to our homes on Tuesday.  My mom lives in Kansas and I live in Idaho, if you didn't know...here is a pic of us!

Denise and Terry visiting Our Lady of Good Help Shrine

Here is the story of the apparition.  This is taken directly from the website of The National Shrine to Our Lady of Good Help  You can read more on the website about Adele's mission and a miraculous fire that happened at the site...

"The Seer

Adele Brise (Brice) was born in Belgium to Lambert and Catherine Brise on January 30, 1831. Although she suffered an accident at a young age that left her blind in her right eye, those who knew her best describe her cheerfulness, fervent piety, and simple religious ways.

Upon receiving her first Holy Communion, Adele and a few close friends promised the Blessed Virgin Mary that they would devote their lives to becoming religious teaching sisters in Belgium. However, this promise grew difficult to keep when her parents decided to move to America alongside other Belgium settlers. After seeking advice from her confessor, she was told to be obedient to her parents. He assured her that if the Lord willed her to become a teacher and a sister, she would serve in that vocation in America.

After the six-week voyage to America, the Brise family joined the largest Belgian settlement – near present-day Champion, Wisconsin. Belgian pioneers’ and settlers’ lives were difficult, and many died in the harsh Wisconsin winters. Adele served her family’s needs by often taking grain to the grist mill.

The Apparition

While walking along a trail in the woods, Adele saw a lady dressed in white, standing between two trees believed to be a maple and hemlock. Although the mysterious woman stayed silent, it left Adele wondering what sort of encounter it may have been. When Adele told her family, they believed her but thought perhaps it was a soul in purgatory visiting this earthly life asking for prayers.

A few days later, on what is believed to be Sunday, October 9, 1859, Adele walked to Mass with her sister and a friend. The church was 10 miles away from home, but Adele made the journey every Sunday, no matter the weather. Along the same path, Adele saw the mysterious lady standing in the same spot between the two trees. However, Adele being the only one to see her, she and her companions continued their journey to Mass.

After Mass, Adele spoke to her parish priest, and he instructed her that if the lady appeared to her again to ask the question, “In God’s name, who are you and what do you want of me?”

On her journey home, Adele saw the lady for the third time. As she and her companions approached the hallowed spot, Adele could see the beautiful lady, clothed in dazzling white, with a yellow sash around her waist. Her dress fell to her feet in graceful folds. She had a crown of stars around her head, and her long golden wavy hair fell loosely over her shoulders. The lady had such a heavenly light around her that Adele could hardly look at her face. Overcome by the light, Adele fell to her knees and said, “In God’s name, who are you, and what do you want of me?”

The lady replied, “I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same. You received Holy Communion this morning and that is well. But you must do more. Make a general confession and offer Communion for the conversion of sinners. If they do not convert and do penance, my Son will be obliged to punish them.”

Adele’s companions, unable to see Our Lady asked, “Adele, who is it? Why can’t we see her as you do?”

“Kneel,” said Adele, “the Lady says she is the Queen of Heaven.”

The Blessed Lady gazed kindly upon them, saying, “Blessed are they that believe without seeing.” Then, looking toward Adele, the Queen of Heaven asked, “What are you doing here in idleness while your companions are working in the vineyard of my Son?”

“What more can I do, dear Lady?” asked Adele, weeping.

“Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.”

“But how shall I teach them who know so little myself?” Adele said.

“Teach them,” replied her radiant visitor, “their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments; that is what I wish you to do. Go and fear nothing, I will help you.”

Then, wrapped as it were in a luminous atmosphere, Our Lady lifted her hands as though she were beseeching a blessing for those at her feet. Slowly, she vanished from sight, leaving Adele overwhelmed and prostrated on the ground.

This was the simple beginning of Adele’s mission to become a teacher for the Lord and the Blessed Lady."

Here is a picture of Our Lady of Good Help (above).  In this apparition, Mary has golden hair and wears a white dress with golden shash.

What We Did

When we got there, we went into the Mercy Hall (that is the first pic in this blog above).  There was actually a traveling display about Carlo Acutis' Eucharistic Miracles of the World.  Click on Carlo's name to watch a video about him.  Click on the website title to go to the website.  This is a website that has logged over 150 Eucharistic Miracles.  I had found one of the Miracles online and then found it in the display.  It was about Teresa Neumann and her birthday is April 8 (Just like my mom, Teresa (but she goes by Terry, who also has a birthday on April 8th!).  I liked Teresa Neumann because she fasted and I am really into spiritual fasting.  We also watched a short film about Carlos Acutis.  I have heard that there is a local miracle in Moscow, Idaho that may be attributed towards his sainthood!  So cool!

After checking out the display, we headed to the chapel and prayed a rosary and attended Mass.  Then, we had lunch.  After lunch, we came back to check out the Welcome Center and I saw this cool image.  

Here is a pic of it showing the church approved apparition sites around the world.  There are 15 on this world map.  As I noted before, most of them are in Europe, one in Mexico, one in South America, one in Africa and one in Japan.  Now, these are just church approved...there are many, many more that have not been church approved.

I think we walked around back of the chapel after that.  There was a walking rosary and there was also some Stations of the Cross but it was cold and windy so we just quickly walked through.  There was also this neat little, tiny chapel.  When the immigrants were coming to settle the new land, it was not easy to get to church each Sunday.  As you may have read above, it was a 10 mile walk, one way, to get to church for Adele.  So, people would build these little tiny chapels on their property to have a place to pray and anyone could visit the chapel.

After the walk, we went to the oratory where the actual apparition took place.  I did not take this picture.  I got it off their website.  It was all dark in there when we visited.  We lit some candles and filled out some prayer intention cards and prayed for everyone I could think of.

After that, we hit the gift shop and kept them late.  They were like, we close at 4:00 and it was 4:20!  There was so much good stuff in there!  It was probably good that our shopping time got cut short...would have spent too much money!

Then, we went back to the hotel and watched the movie, Father Stu.  If you have not seen this movie, check it out!  I just love it!  It is on Netflix right now.

Then, we had to get up early the next day and head back to the airport!  Super quick but lovely trip!

Have an eggcellent day!

~Denise