The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture took 37 Sorin Fellows on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin over the weekend of September 5-6. The shrine is just a few miles down the road from Lambeau Field, where the Fighting Irish beat the Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Champion is the only verified Marian apparition in the United States. In 1859, Servant of God Adele Brice met a beautiful woman standing between a hemlock and a maple tree while on her weekly 10 mile walk to Sunday Mass. At the prompting of her parish priest, Brice questioned the lady as to who she was. The lady replied, “I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same. …Gather the children in the wild country, and teach them what they should know for salvation … go, and fear nothing.”
Brice devoted the rest of her life to catechesis. A shrine was constructed at the site of the apparition, and, a dozen years later, marked the location of the Miracle of the Fire.
Regarded as one of the worst in U.S. history, the 1871 Great Peshtigo Fire ravaged Wisconsin, killing an estimated 2,000 people and burning over 1.2 million acres. The land around the shrine was destroyed and the bordering fence was scorched, but the shrine was left completely untouched. Every pilgrim who fled to the shrine and sought the intercession of Our Lady of Champion during the fire was saved.
For senior Peter Onder, the pilgrimage was the perfect opportunity to “spend the weekend with Sorin Fellows in prayer and reflection while visiting a beautiful Marian site.”
The pilgrims departed early Saturday morning, arriving at the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion by the afternoon. Students were introduced to the history of the shrine by the Fathers of Mercy, the order serving as the shrine’s chaplains and rectors. They also listened to a spiritual reflection from the accompanying chaplain, Father Chris Brennan, C.S.C., and Professor of Philosophy John O’Callaghan.
“It was amazing to see how humble the shrine is,” sophomore Danny Rowan told the Rover. “From the street, it is just a few buildings in the middle of nowhere.”
Adoration, confession, a Rosary walk, Stations of the Cross, and the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy were all offered in the afternoon. Onder told the Rover it was “most spiritually rewarding to be able to go to Confession with one of the Fathers of Mercy,” which was “very grounded and spiritually fruitful,” Onder added.
To conclude their time at the shrine, the pilgrims attended a Votive Mass for the Blessed Mother in the Apparition Chapel.
“I got a deep sense of peace,” senior Joseph Dragonowski said of his experience at the shrine. “It was very restful and very beautiful. … It was kind of what I needed because I had been worrying about various things, and the sense of peacefulness inspired me to just not worry. … I can just trust God.”
After spending the night at the Zechariah House retreat center, the students concluded their pilgrimage by attending Sunday Mass at the National Shrine of St. Joseph on the campus of St. Norbert College in De Pere.
“I’m so grateful for the chance for contemplation before the semester got too busy,” senior Elizabeth Mitchell told the Rover. “While I had heard about Our Lady of Champion from a variety of peers who had visited her shrine before, I wasn’t familiar with the rich history of her story. It was so beautiful to hear her impact on the people of Champion—especially as a fellow Midwesterner! Something I found very moving from the pilgrimage was seeing how Christ had worked through so many people on the trip.”
Spiritually invigorated, many of the pilgrims marched on to Green Bay to cheer on Our Lady’s team in the Shamrock Series. This year, Notre Dame competed against the Wisconsin Badgers in the NFL’s Lambeau Field.
“It was awesome!” Rowan related. “I explored Lambeau Field with the other sophomores on the pilgrimage, and the atmosphere was incredible.”
The Irish dominated the second half of the game. With a final score of 41-13, Notre Dame maintains their undefeated record in the Shamrock Series games.
The Sorin Fellows victoriously returned under the mantle of Our Lady to campus immediately following the game, and arrived back on campus early Monday morning.
Madeline Page is a junior studying Biology. She has no shortage of school spirit, but relies on her brother to explain everything regarding Notre Dame football to her (even though she has been here for two years). Send further help to mpage4@nd.edu.