A small churchyard amid Wisconsin farmland became the site of a big “family gathering” over the Fourth of July weekend when the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion hosted a celebration of Catholic Saints of America. Source: OSV News.
With relics of 14 saints and blesseds, along with tents of displays from shrines and sainthood guilds around the country, the shrine celebrated what it means to be Catholic Americans.
“Yes, we are faithful citizens of the United States of America, but we are first of all, by baptism, Catholics,” Father of Mercy Nathanael Mudd, shrine chaplain, said. “And that identity, as sons and daughters of God by baptism, is always going to be more important.”
With that in mind, though, Fr Mudd added happily that “everybody came to Mom’s for the Fourth: Mary gathered all her children at her house for the Fourth”.
Those children included 76 saints, blessed, venerables and servants of God.
Champion’s shrine is the only Church-approved apparition of Mary in the United States. Adele Brice (also spelled “Brise”), a Belgian immigrant whose sainthood cause formally opened in January, experienced visions of the Queen of Heaven in 1859. Brice was told: “Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.”
With that in mind, the shrine’s staff began a year ago to brainstorm about how the 250th anniversary of the United States could be a teaching moment. They decided first to organise a novena, or a nine-day prayer, for all Americans.
The shrine’s rector, Father of Mercy Tony Stephens, wrote the prayers. The novena concludes on July 9.
The novena’s centrepiece July 3-5 event became a family gathering of men and women on the road to formal sainthood. Shrine staff and volunteers chose 76 individuals — to commemorate 1776 — and to teach children as well as adults about the Catholic faith in America.
The shrine reached out for information and sacred items to display. They received loans of 14 saints’ relics and offers for over 30 exhibits, plus hosts and speakers. Many saint shrines and guilds — groups promoting the sainthood causes of holy men and women — wanted to take part.
An estimated 15,000 visitors came from around the country, sharing stories and learning about their faith as lived by other members of the Catholic family.
FULL STORY
Heroes with halos: Shrine unites faithful and saints for Fourth of July celebration (By Patricia Kasten, OSV News)
