The depths of rural Wisconsin might seem like an unlikely place for a Catholic holy site, but some claim that this shrine is on par with Lourdes in terms of its legacy of miraculous healing. In 1859, a Belgian-born woman by the name of Adele Brise claimed to see an apparition of the Virgin Mary on this site. In 2010, Bishop David L. Ricken officially recognized the vision, making this the first Marian apparition to be approved on American soil.
After allegedly being called to “gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation,” the 28-year-old Brise dedicated the rest of her life to spreading the Word. Adding to the site’s miraculous credibility, the shrine was was spared from the infamous Peshtigo Fire of 1871. It also features one of the few Diocese-sanctioned Pieta replicas.
