About Marian Center for Peace · Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
The Marian Center for Peace of Wisconsin Rapids is a canonically recognized Roman Catholic private association of the faithful within the Diocese of La Crosse, dedicated to imitating the Blessed Virgin Mary's 'Fiat' through prayer, study, and evangelization. Housed in the former convent of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church at 241 Apricot Street, the center is home to the Mother of America Perpetual Adoration Chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is adored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Its threefold mission is to encourage Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, to spread the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe through stewardship of her relic image, and to promote devotion to the Divine Mercy. The center also maintains a Shroud of Turin Teaching Center featuring life-sized, back-lit photographic reproductions of the Shroud.
- Established
- 1994
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (modeled on her 'Fiat')
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse
Why belong here
The Marian Center for Peace offers something rare in central Wisconsin: an authentic, perpetually-adored Eucharist in the Mother of America Chapel (24/7 since 2004), paired with a one-of-a-kind Shroud of Turin Teaching Center and a relic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe bearing the same graces of evangelization, conversion, and healing as the original tilma in Mexico City. Visitors and members pray together through the Divine Mercy Chaplet, petition for an end to abortion and for priestly vocations, and join in a full year of Marian and Eucharistic celebrations from Divine Mercy Sunday to the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Mass times at Marian Center for Peace
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the Mother of America Perpetual Adoration Chapel
Our Mission & Identity
The Marian Center for Peace of Wisconsin Rapids is a Roman Catholic association of the faithful that seeks to follow Christ by imitating His mother Mary in her 'Fiat' — her perfect yes to the will of God — through prayer, study, and evangelization. Canonically recognized by Bishop William Patrick Callahan on January 13, 2015, as a private association of the faithful within the Diocese of La Crosse, the Center pursues a threefold purpose.
- To encourage and promote Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
- To spread the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe through stewardship of her relic image
- To promote devotion to the Divine Mercy
Our History
Founded in 1994 by Denis and Carole (Carol) Virnig of Wisconsin Rapids, the Marian Center for Peace began as a lay-led apostolate focused on perpetual adoration and Marian devotion. On October 3, 2004, the Center inaugurated perpetual adoration in what had been the convent of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, and that same year received one of 220 exact-size replicas of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe personally touched to the original tilma of St. Juan Diego in Mexico City. The decades of work were formally recognized in 2015 when Bishop Callahan issued an official decree erecting the Center as a private association within the Diocese of La Crosse.
Relic Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
In November 2004, the Marian Center received one of 220 exact-size digital replicas of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. These replicas were personally touched by Msgr. Monroy — rector of the International Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City — to the sacred original tilma of St. Juan Diego in the first formal ceremonial procedure of this kind in more than 472 years. Each replica 'will carry the same graces of evangelization, conversion, healing and truth' as the original image first miraculously appeared on the tilma in 1531, so a pilgrim venerating the relic at the Marian Center can receive the same graces as one traveling to Mexico City.
Divine Mercy Devotion
Hanging in the chapel alongside the Guadalupe relic is a laser/digital reproduction of the Vilnius Divine Mercy painting bearing the inscription 'Jesus, I Trust in You' — the only Divine Mercy image painted exactly as Jesus instructed St. Faustina Kowalska in 1931. The Center encourages devotion by distributing Divine Mercy chaplet and novena prayer sheets to area parishes, coordinating the annual Divine Mercy Sunday Celebration, and caring for a traveling Divine Mercy image used at pro-life events, Marian conferences, and Eucharistic processions.
Shroud of Turin Teaching Center
One of the Marian Center's educational pillars is its Shroud of Turin Teaching Center. The Center holds two life-sized displays of the Shroud — believed by many to be the burial cloth of Christ, kept since the sixteenth century at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Turin, Italy. A back-lit, full-sized, high-definition photograph is divided into front-and-back vertical panels; a second photographic-negative version provides a clearer 'face-to-face' display of the crucified man's features.
- Partnership with Dr. John Jackson and Rebecca Jackson of the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado (Colorado Springs)
- On-line presentations and discussion sessions offered through the Jackson partnership
- Public expositions of the Shroud in Turin held in 1898, 1931, 1933, 1978, 1998, 2000, 2010, and 2015 (visited by Pope Francis on June 21, 2015)
Eucharistic Miracles Display & Library
In addition to the Shroud of Turin room, the Marian Center maintains a first-floor room dedicated to Eucharistic Miracles, encouraging deeper devotion to the Real Presence. The Center also houses a small lending library and resource center, and welcomes groups for tours that highlight both exhibits along with prayer time in the chapel.
Yearly Calendar of Celebrations
Throughout the liturgical year the Marian Center sponsors a series of communal celebrations and prayer vigils, drawing members of the Wisconsin Rapids Deanery and beyond.
- January 22 — Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
- First Sunday after Easter — Divine Mercy Sunday Celebration
- June (date varies) — Corpus Christi Procession
- September 8 — Virgin Mary's Birthday Celebration
- October 13 — Our Lady of Fatima Celebration
- October 31 — All Saints Prayer Vigil
- December 12 — Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Prayer Petitions & Pro-Life Apostolate
The Marian Center's prayer life gathers specific intentions from its members, in keeping with its Marian and pro-life character. Adorers and visitors are invited to pray for a wide range of causes — both personal and ecclesial — and the Center coordinates pro-life events and processions as part of its vocation as a private association of the faithful.
Pilgrimages, Tours & Visits
The Marian Center welcomes groups and individuals for pilgrimage visits to the Mother of America Chapel and tours of the Shroud of Turin Teaching Center and Eucharistic Miracles room. To arrange a pilgrimage visit, call 715-424-6279 or e-mail [email protected].
Support & Giving
The Marian Center for Peace is a registered non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and operates entirely on the generosity of donors. An active 'Handicap Accessibility Project' is currently fundraising to improve physical access to the historic convent building. Donations support general operations, the adoration program, the Shroud and Eucharistic Miracles teaching centers, the canonically-recognized religious works of the Center, and special projects.
- General Fund — supporting overall operations
- Handicap Accessibility Project
- Donations by check: Treasurer, Marian Center for Peace, 241 Apricot Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494
- Online donation options linked from the Donate page
Contact & Visit
Mailing address: 241 Apricot Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494. General inquiries: [email protected]. Phone: 715-424-MARY (6279). The Center is located in the former convent of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. For Shroud of Turin Teaching Center, pilgrimage, or tour requests call 715-424-6279 or e-mail the Center.
- Address: 241 Apricot Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494
- Phone: 715-424-MARY (6279)
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Facebook: search 'Marian Center for Peace'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Founders Denis and Carole (Carol) Virnig1994–2009 (and continuing through Carole)
Denis Virnig (1943–2009), a Knights of Columbus member and Serra Club president, co-founded the Center in 1994 with his wife Carole. After his death in 2009, the family and community have continued the apostolate, leading to canonical recognition by Bishop Callahan in 2015.