Our Lady of Champion

09-29-2024Pastor's LetterVery Rev. Richard C. Wilson, VF, Pastor

Dear Friends in Christ,

From Monday through Friday, September 16th-20th, I visited my brother Warren and his wife Marilyn in Mount Horeb, WI. Warren, as I have mentioned, has prostate cancer. Praise God, he is recovering quite well. He really has no symptoms at all, except from his medication. The cancer has regressed, and his physicians now say that when he dies, it will not be the cancer that causes his death. I am most thankful for all your prayers!

On Tuesday, September 17th, Warren and I drove to visit the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion. It is the first and only approved Marian apparition site in the United States. I had heard about the Shrine earlier at a Catholic conference and I mentioned it to my brother. Warren is a practicing Lutheran, but without hesitation he made plans for us to travel there. It’s about four hours from Mount Horeb to New Franken where the shrine is located. It was a beautiful Wisconsin fall day, and we had a great time talking and sharing as we drove up there.

I noticed immediately that the shrine prominently flew the Vatican flag; we were on Vatican soil. The Shrine includes a large conference center, a chapel, a historical building, a grotto over the site of the apparition, a cemetery, numerous statues and of course a gift shop. We were there for just over two hours. I prayed a rosary there for some very special prayer intentions. Many people have experienced miraculous healings at this shrine; many have left crutches and walking aids behind as testimony to their healing.

The story of Sister Adele and the apparition of Our Lady of Champion is indeed a fascinating account, but it’s too long for this very short letter. Please make a special visit to their website at https://championshrine.org/our-story/ There you will find a complete account of this remarkable apparition.

I leave you with just a snippet of Our Lady of Champion’s words to Sister Adele:

“What more can I do, dear Lady?” said 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?” replied Adele.

“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.”

And she will help us! Our Lady of Champion....pray for us!

All the best…in Christ.