About National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help · New Franken, Wisconsin
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion (formerly the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help) is a Catholic Marian shrine in the unincorporated community of Champion in the Town of Green Bay, Wisconsin, near New Franken. It stands on the site where, in October 1859, the Blessed Virgin Mary is reported to have appeared to a young Belgian immigrant catechist named Adele Brise. On December 8, 2010, Bishop David L. Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay gave formal ecclesiastical approval to those apparitions — the first and only Marian apparition site in the United States to receive such approval. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the chapel as a national shrine on August 15, 2016, and on April 20, 2023, Bishop Ricken announced the shrine's renaming to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, with the Holy See's Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments authorizing an annual Solemnity of Our Lady of Champion on October 9.
- Established
- 1859
- Patron
- Our Lady of Champion (formerly Our Lady of Good Help)
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Aytona, CPM (Rector)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion is the only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States, set on twelve acres of quiet Wisconsin farmland about 17 miles northeast of Green Bay. Pilgrims come for daily Mass (in English, with multiple Masses on weekends and Wednesdays), daily Eucharistic Adoration from 12:45–3:00 p.m. in the Apparition Chapel, confession offered twice a day, the daily rosary at 10:45 a.m., the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m., and special devotions such as the First Friday Sacred Heart devotion, First Saturday Fatima devotions, and a monthly Eucharistic Healing Prayer Service — making it a uniquely powerful destination for anyone seeking healing of mind, body, and soul, or simply a day of refuge and prayer.
Mass times at National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Daily: 10:30 a.m.
- Daily: 2:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- Daily Eucharistic Adoration: 12:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Apparition Chapel)
About the Shrine
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion (formerly the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help) sits on twelve acres of peaceful Wisconsin farmland in the unincorporated community of Champion, about 17 miles northeast of Green Bay. It is the only Marian apparition site in the United States to have received formal Catholic Church approval — a decree issued by Bishop David L. Ricken on December 8, 2010, following a multi-year diocesan investigation. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops elevated the chapel to a national shrine in 2016, and on April 20, 2023 Bishop Ricken announced its renaming to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, aligning it with other international apparition sites such as Lourdes, Fatima and Guadalupe.
- Site of the only Church-approved Marian apparition in the United States
- Diocesan Shrine approved December 8, 2010; National Shrine recognized August 15, 2016
- Renamed National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, April 20, 2023
- Open 365 days a year, 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
History of the Apparitions
On October 9, 1859, Adele Brise, a young Belgian immigrant in the forests of northeastern Wisconsin, reported seeing the Blessed Virgin Mary — a lady dressed in dazzling white, elevated in a bright light between two trees — three times that day. The Lady identified herself as "the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners" and entrusted Adele with a two-fold mission: to pray and offer Communion for the conversion of sinners, and to gather the children of the wilderness to teach them their catechism, how to make the Sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments. Lambert Brise built a 10-by-12-foot log chapel on the site almost immediately, and Adele set out on foot — traveling as much as fifty miles across the Green Bay Peninsula — to catechize the children of a frontier community that had only one priest serving the entire northeast of the state.
- 1859: Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Adele Brise, October 9
- 1859: First log chapel (10 × 12 ft) built by Lambert Brise
- Adele's mission: catechize children, pray for the conversion of sinners
- Tertiary Franciscan community organized by Adele ("Belgian" / "Brown" Sisters)
Adele Brise and Her Community
Adele Brise organized several young women from the local Belgian community into a Third Order Franciscan group that worked alongside her in catechesis and prayer. With help from the Belgian Catholic settlers, the community erected a red-brick school, chapel, and convent in 1885 on donated land in the town of Robinsonville — and the school still stands as a monument to their work. St. Mary's Boarding Academy admitted both boarding and day pupils. Adele died on July 5, 1896, and is buried beside her assistant Marguerite "Maggie" Allard in the small cemetery just outside the Apparition Oratory. Between 1890 and 1896, at Adele's suggestion, the town of Robinsonville was renamed Champion — fulfilling, in a sense, the promise she had made to join the Ursulines in Champion, Belgium.
- 1885: red-brick school, chapel and convent built on donated land in Robinsonville
- St. Mary's Boarding Academy founded adjacent to the chapel
- Town of Robinsonville renamed Champion (1890s)
- Adele died July 5, 1896
- Burial site: small cemetery outside the Apparition Oratory
The Peshtigo Fire of 1871
On the night of October 8, 1871, the Peshtigo Fire — the deadliest wildfire in American history — swept across northeastern Wisconsin, incinerating the lumber town of Peshtigo and a dozen other communities and killing between 1,500 and 2,500 people. Adele, her companions and neighbors gathered on the chapel grounds in earnest prayer. According to diocesan, eyewitness and oral accounts, rain fell in the early hours of October 9 — exactly twelve years after the apparition — and the fire reportedly halted at the edge of the chapel property, sparing the convent, school, chapel and consecrated acreage. The local priest Fr. Peter Pernin later wrote of the chapel grounds as "an emerald isle in a sea of ashes." Pilgrimages to the site surged, and regular devotions on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15) became an established tradition.
- October 8–9, 1871: Peshtigo Fire devastates northeastern Wisconsin
- Rainfall reported to coincide with 12th anniversary of apparition
- Fire halted at chapel property line; "emerald isle in a sea of ashes"
- Annual August 15 Assumption devotions established in the fire's wake
Diocesan Approval and National Shrine Status
Bishop David L. Ricken opened a formal diocesan investigation into the 1859 apparitions in 2009, after a continuous flow of pilgrims had venerated the site for 150 years. On December 8, 2010, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, he issued his decree declaring the events "worthy of belief (although not obligatory) by the Christian faithful" — making Champion the first and only such approved apparition site in the United States. On March 19, 2016 the USCCB recognized the chapel as a national shrine, effective August 15, 2016, and the title became the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. On April 20, 2023, Bishop Ricken announced the further renaming to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, with the Holy See authorizing an annual Solemnity Mass on October 9.
- 2009: Formal diocesan investigation opened by Bishop David L. Ricken
- December 8, 2010: Apparitions declared "worthy of belief" — first and only in the U.S.
- March 19, 2016: USCCB designates chapel a National Shrine (effective August 15, 2016)
- April 20, 2023: Renamed National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion; annual Solemnity established
- October 9, 2023: Inaugural Solemnity of Our Lady of Champion celebrated by Bishop Ricken
Faith of the Fathers of Mercy and the Sainthood Cause
Since 2011, at the request of the Bishop of Green Bay, the Shrine has been staffed by the Fathers of Mercy (Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy, CPM) — a congregation of priests founded in France in 1808 and devoted to preaching parish missions and the sacraments, with a special emphasis on the Eucharist and Confession. The CPM Fathers staff the daily Mass and confession schedule, lead pilgrimages, and have spearheaded the petition that led the Diocese of Green Bay to formally open the sainthood cause of Adele Brise in early 2025, with the Shrine itself serving as the official "actor of the cause." Fr. Anthony Stephens, CPM preceded the present rector; Fr. Joseph Aytona, CPM was appointed Rector effective June 18, 2024.
- Fathers of Mercy (CPM) have staffed the Shrine since 2011
- Fr. Anthony "Tony" Stephens, CPM — Rector (predecessor)
- Fr. Joseph Aytona, CPM — current Rector (appointed June 18, 2024)
- Diocese of Green Bay opened Adele Brise's sainthood cause in early 2025
Devotions and Pilgrimages
Beyond the Mass and sacrament schedule, the Shrine maintains a daily rhythm of Marian and Eucharistic devotions: the Rosary at 10:45 a.m., the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3:00 p.m., Sunday Rosary Walks (May–October) and Family Holy Hours (November–April), Sacred Heart devotions on First Fridays, Fatima devotions on First Saturdays, and a monthly Eucharistic Healing Prayer Service on the Last Saturday of each month. Larger pilgrimage events include the annual May Walk to Mary (8,000+ pilgrims in 2023), the August 15 Assumption Mass (typically over 2,000 attendees), and the annual October 9 Solemnity of Our Lady of Champion.
- Rosary: Daily 10:45 a.m.
- Chaplet of Divine Mercy: Daily 3:00 p.m.
- Sacred Heart Devotions: First Friday
- Fatima Devotions: First Saturday
- Eucharistic Healing Prayer Service: Last Saturday
- Stations of the Cross in Lent (Tuesdays 8:45 a.m.; Fridays 5:45 p.m.)
- Walk to Mary (May) and Solemnity of Our Lady of Champion (October 9)
Sacraments and Sacramental Life
The Shrine is not a territorial parish but a diocesan/national shrine, and its primary sacramental focus is offering Mass, Confession and Eucharistic Adoration daily for pilgrims. The Fathers of Mercy also celebrate the Anointing of the Sick through the monthly Eucharistic Healing Prayer Service on the last Saturday of each month.
- Mass (daily — see schedule)
- Confession (daily, 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.)
- Eucharistic Adoration (daily, 12:45 p.m.–3:00 p.m.)
- Eucharistic Healing Prayer / Anointing (Last Saturday, after 11:30 a.m. Mass)
Visiting, Hours and Campus
The Shrine grounds, Oratory, church and cemetery are open 365 days a year, 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. On-site facilities include the Apparition Chapel (with the main altar above the apparition site and the 2024-renovated interior), the Apparition Oratory (with the Our Lady of Grace statue near the remains of the apparition trees and the doorway to Adele's burial cemetery), the surviving 1885 red-brick school, and the History Center (museum) which chronicles Adele's life and the apparition. The Gift Shop is open daily 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Sundays 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.), and a Café is also on site. Both the Gift Shop and Café close on Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.
- Grounds & Oratory: daily 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Gift Shop & Café: Mon–Sat 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sun 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
- History Center: daily 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sundays 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Free parking; no appointment necessary to visit
Architecture and Sacred Art
The complex blends three historic layers: the 1859 log chapel site (where the apparition occurred); the 1885 red-brick school, chapel and convent built by Adele's community; and the present Tudor Gothic church built in 1942, with its vaulted ceiling and exposed wooden truss construction. The main altar sits directly above the apparition site, with a lifelike Madonna and Child statue behind it; Stations of the Cross and devotional statuary throughout the complex are rendered in a devotional style reminiscent of the early 20th century. Beneath the church, the Apparition Oratory houses a statue of Our Lady of Grace near the spot where the remains of the two apparition trees were excavated. A 2024 renovation of the chapel emphasized visual simplicity and added a new altar into which relics of Sts. Digni and Justiniani were sealed in March 2024.
- 1942 Tudor Gothic church; red brick; wooden-truss vaulted ceiling
- Main altar above the apparition site; Madonna and Child behind
- Stations of the Cross in early 20th-century devotional style
- Apparition Oratory with Our Lady of Grace statue and apparition-tree remains
- 2024 chapel renovation: new altar, relics of Sts. Digni and Justiniani
Planning a Pilgrimage
Group pilgrimages can be arranged year-round; the Shrine's Pilgrimage Coordinator can be reached at 920-866-2571 ext 113 or [email protected]. The Shrine lies on County Highway K, 17 miles northeast of Green Bay, 6 miles east of the intersection of State Highway 57 and County Highway K, and 1 mile east of the town of Champion on the north side of the road. Free parking is available on the grounds.
- Pilgrimage Coordinator: 920-866-2571 ext 113
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 4047 Chapel Drive, Champion, WI 54229
- No appointment necessary for individual visits
Notable Facts and Pilgrimage Significance
Champion holds an extraordinary place in American Catholic history: it is the first and only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States, and its grounds are reported to have been spared by the deadliest wildfire in American history (the 1871 Peshtigo Fire). The original Belgian Catholic community, the surviving 1885 school, the 1942 Tudor Gothic church and the 2024-renovated Apparition Chapel all remain in place. The Shrine now sees more than 200,000 pilgrims a year and hosts the country's newest Marian solemnity (October 9) under the title Our Lady of Champion.
- Only Church-approved Marian apparition in the United States
- Grounds spared by the 1871 Peshtigo Fire (deadliest wildfire in U.S. history)
- Solemnity of Our Lady of Champion celebrated annually on October 9
- Sainthood cause for Adele Brise opened by Diocese of Green Bay in 2025
- Annual Walk to Mary (May) and August 15 Assumption Mass draw thousands
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Anthony "Tony" Stephens, CPMserved as Rector (named in 2023 communications); presumably from 2011 onward under Fathers of Mercy staffing
Spoke at the public vespers formally opening Adele Brise's sainthood cause; oversaw the transition from Our Lady of Good Help to Our Lady of Champion
- Rev. Joseph Aytona, CPMappointed Rector effective June 18, 2024
Replaced Fr. Stephens as rector; presided over the 2024 altar renovation and relics placement
 "National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help")