THE POWER OF FAITH
These Wisconsin sites offer spiritual destinations during Lent
Lent is a deeply sacred time for many. The season brings with it Friday fish fries, special sacred church services, deep sadness and uplifting hope. For some, it is a good time to make a pilgrimage, and Wisconsin offers plenty of spiritual sites that attract visitors of all kinds from across the world.
Here are a handful of Christian churches, shrines, grottos and gardens that exemplify how the power of faith compelled people to create, build and inspire throughout history.
The Rev. Philip Wagner created the Rudolph Grotto Gardens after being inspired by Lourdes, France
The Rev. Philip Wagner was studying for the priesthood in Europe in 1912 when he visited the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. When he returned to the United States and was assigned to lead a new church parish and school in Rudolph, he spent years building a Lourdes-like destination for the people of Wisconsin to enjoy. With the help of volunteers, he built by hand the gardens, structures and shrines on church grounds, including an aboveground grotto called the Wonder Cave.
People are welcome to visit the gardens at any time, but the cave, gift shop and museum are open from Memorial Day through Sept. 30. Visitors can make arrangements with caretaker Kris Willfarht to open the gift shop and/or museum on off hours by calling her at 715459-5547. More details and photos are available on the Grotto Gardens website: rudolphgrotto.org.
Dickeyville Grotto and Shrines is always open
The Dickeyville Grotto and Shrines is a similar site that attracts pilgrims from far and wide. Located at 305 W. Main St., Dickeyville, the grotto and shrines were fashioned by the Rev. Mathias Wernerus between 1924 and 1930, using
materials and objects from around the world. The site is part of Holy Ghost Parish, and is open year-round, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. More information is available at dickeyvillegrotto.com.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion was untouched by the Peshtigo Fire
Located northeast of Green Bay at 4047 Chapel Drive, New Franken, one claim to The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion’s fame is that its sanctuary and grounds were spared destruction from the Great Peshtigo Fire. The fire killed thousands of people and burned 1.2 million acres, including those surrounding the shrine. In 2016, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the grounds as a National Shrine, making it the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.
The Shrine’s grounds are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. There are daily Masses and confession times. During Lent, special celebrations of the Stations of the Cross are held on Tuesdays at 9:15 a.m. More information is available at championshrine.org.
St. Joan of Arc is said to have prayed at a chapel now located at Marquette University
St. Joan of Arc, a French heroine during the Hundred Years War, is said to have once prayed in this small church when it stood in France in March 1429. Although the facts remain up for debate, what is known is that Gertrude Hill Gavin, who was a fan of St. Joan of Arc, learned about the small building, bought it, had it dismantled and moved to her estate on Long Island in New York. The purchase included the socalled “Joan of Arc” stone, which is believed by some to be the one which Joan of Arc kneeled on to pray before battle. Believers say the saint kissed the stone, and it’s been colder than stones surrounding it ever since.
In 1962, Gavin sold the property, including the chapel, to Marc Rojtman, who was the former president of J.I. Case. Rojtman and his wife, Lillian, donated the chapel to Marquette University. The chapel was dismantled and moved again, to its present site in the center of the campus. The chapel hosts regular Masses, and is used as an art collecting and display center. For more information, visit marquette.edu/stjoan
Tap into Scandinavian history at the stave church on Washington Island
There is not one, but two stavkirkes (stave churches, a term describing a Norse architectural style) in Door County, both replicas of historic churches in Scandinavia.
The Stavkirke of Washington Island is part of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at 1763 Townline Road, Washington Island. A group of volunteers started raising money to build the Stavkirke in 1983, and the church is used for small worship services, weddings and tours. It’s open for visiting year-round. The Washington Island Stavkirke is modeled after the Borgund Stavkirke in Norway, which was built in 1180. Find out more about the Washington Island Stavkirke at trinitylutheranwi.com/stavkirke.
Lawrence University also has a stave church at Bjorklunden, its north campus in Baileys Harbor
While not available to visit during Lent, Lawrence University also has a stave church located on its north campus of Bjorklunden, just south of Baileys Harbor. The Boynton Chapel, which is open for tours from mid-June to late August, was handcrafted by Winifred and Donald Boynton between 1939 and 1947 on the grounds of their summer home, according to the church’s website. It is based on a church located in Lillehammer, Norway. For more information visit lawrence.edu/bjorklunden/boynton-chapel.
Holy Hill Basilica offers up ‘peace, beauty and prayer’
Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill, 1525 Carmel Road, Hubertus, has to be the most photographed site in Wisconsin, especially in the fall. The basilica is located on 435 acres atop one of the highest sites in southeastern Wisconsin. It can be seen for miles. The grounds themselves offer plenty for visitors to take in. Open daily, the site includes a Shrine Chapel, a gift store, a cafe and a guesthouse. Although it’s not open for Lent, the grounds include a 192-foot, 178-stair scenic tower that offers climbers sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. It will open May 1. More information: holyhill.com/visit.
Keith Uhlig is a regional features reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin based in Wausau. Contact him at 715-845-0651 or kuhlig@gannett. Follow him at @UhligK on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram or on Facebook.