Originally published at Churchpop
Champion, Wisconsin may seem like an unusual place for a Church-approved Marian Apparition site.
Surrounded by farmlands, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion doesn’t have the grandeur of Lourdes or Guadalupe to mark this place as anything special, other than the fact that Our Lady appeared here to a woman named Adele Brise and urged her to pray for the conversion of sinners and to teach children the faith.
Another thing that marks this place is its simple beauty and the peace one feels while on these sacred grounds.
For anyone curious or considering a pilgrimage to Champion (which is just outside Green Bay) below are five inspiring facts about Our Lady of Champion that will hopefully inspire potential pilgrims to visit.
1. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion is the only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States.
This alone makes it an incredibly special place to visit! The process for church approval took time and support from the bishop. Our Lady of Champion was declared “worthy of belief” in 2010.
An approved apparition site means that the Church has declared that believing in this apparition is good and helpful for our faith.
Graphic: Caroline Perkins, ChurchPOP /
