Our Lady of the Ozarks

History of Our Lady of the Ozarks

The shrine originated in the early 1940s as a mission for scattered Ozark Catholic families. Ann Guilliot of Dallas and Elizabeth Sublett of Fort Smith—two women with summer homes in Winslow—organized neighbors and brought their census to Auxiliary Bishop Albert Fletcher. In September 1941, Clara Muxen, a former nun from Iowa, purchased property on Mount Gaylor with a large donation from her former student Helen Keliher, then converted an abandoned gas station into a chapel and priest's residence. The first Mass was celebrated on October 25, 1942, by Father Lawrence Schaefer of Tontitown, who traveled monthly. In 1944, Father Francis Mackin became the first resident priest, broke ground on the permanent Gothic Revival church in May, and celebrated its first Mass on August 27. The church was dedicated on August 25, 1946, by Bishop John Morris. By 1949, Bishop Fletcher was leading the first of many annual pilgrimages, and the parish has remained active ever since.

Clara Muxen and the Founding of the Shrine

Clara Muxen, a former Iowa nun and teacher who had obtained a dispensation for medical treatment, was traveling to Hot Springs in 1941 with her brother and mother when they stopped at the Sky-Vue Lodge on Mount Gaylor and never made it further south. She bought the mountain tract including an abandoned gas station and offered it to the Diocese of Little Rock as a parish home, financing the purchase with local donations and a large gift from her former student Helen Keliher in Detroit. She named the parish after the Virgin of the Smile, brought a small replica from Europe, and commissioned a larger statue from Daprato Studios of Chicago. Muxen remained connected with the shrine for the rest of her long life and was the first person buried in the new Our Lady of the Ozarks Cemetery on April 1, 1966.

Architecture and National Register Listing

The Gothic Revival stone chapel at Our Lady of the Ozarks was designed by architect E. Chester Nelson, completed in 1944, and faced with native Ozark stone; its twenty-three stained-glass windows and bell tower give it a distinct mountain-top profile. The shrine campus covers approximately 2.5 acres and includes the church, rectory, parish hall, an outdoor five-altar devotional walk, the parish cemetery, and a number of cast-stone statues. On May 29, 2019, the property was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #100003993), recognizing both its architecture and its role as the first U.S. shrine dedicated to the Virgin of the Smile.

Pilgrimages and Annual Devotions

Our Lady of the Ozarks is best known for its two annual pilgrimages, held in May and October, around which the parish's devotional life revolves. The events draw pilgrims from across Arkansas and from neighboring states including Oklahoma, Texas, and California. Pilgrims gather for Eucharistic Adoration, Mass with visiting diocesan priests (often including Father Pius Iwu of Immaculate Conception in Fort Smith and visiting priests from outside the diocese), and an outdoor rosary procession around the five devotional altars that ring the property, praying one decade at each. The October pilgrimage traditionally concludes with a family festival at Honey Locust Grove, the home of coordinators Mary Francis and John Sulzen of West Fork, with potluck, treasure hunts, hayrides, puppet shows, costume dances at the VA Auditorium in Fayetteville, a family award drawing, and crowning of the Virgin.

• May Pilgrimage — outdoor rosary, Adoration, Mass
• October Pilgrimage — same, plus Honey Locust Grove family fest
• Five-altar rosary walk (St. Thérèse, Virgin of the Smile, Crucified Christ, Sacred Heart, St. Anthony)
• Family award drawing and crowning presentation
• Potluck, hayride, puppet show, costume dance

Parish Ministries and Community Life

Although small in resident membership—the parish counts roughly 60 to 70 people at Sunday Mass and around twenty-five mountain families in the immediate area—the shrine runs an unusually active devotional and community life. The Parish Advisory Board (chaired by Tom Johnson) oversees operations; Deacon Mike Henry serves as Shrine Deacon and Administrator and leads Tuesday-night Bible study. The family-style ethos is captured in the saying, 'It's always been everybody grab an oar if something needs to be done,' from longtime parishioner Mary Ann Kahmann. Parishioners built the fellowship hall themselves for about $10,000, and the parish adopted online donations to fund long-term sustainability.

• Parish Advisory Board
• Tuesday-night Bible study with Deacon Mike Henry
• Online donation program
• Friday Lenten Masses with simple supper
• Family festival at Honey Locust Grove

Clergy, Staff, and Visiting Priests

The current pastor of Our Lady of the Ozarks Shrine is Fr. Jason Tyler, with Fr. Martin serving as associate pastor, as listed on the Diocese of Little Rock parish page. Deacon Mike Henry serves as the Shrine Deacon and Administrator. The parish is also supported by visiting priests from across the diocese—including Father Pius Iwu of Immaculate Conception Church in Fort Smith and Father John Antony—who concelebrate Sunday Mass and pilgrimage liturgies.

• Associate Pastor: Fr. Martin
• Deacon Mike Henry – Shrine Deacon and Administrator
• Father Pius Iwu (visiting, Immaculate Conception, Fort Smith)
• Father John Antony (visiting)

Visiting the Shrine

Visitors are always welcome. The shrine stands near the summit of Mount Gaylor on U.S. Route 71, just south of Winslow and the Crawford–Washington county line, roughly halfway between northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River Valley. Pilgrims travel primarily by personal vehicle; the church office can be reached at (479) 409-4395 for pilgrimage coordination. A handicap ramp was added to ensure accessibility. Tombstone and history tours, retreats, family camping, and personal pilgrimage are popular, and the parish recommends attending Sunday Mass (9:00 a.m.), the Wednesday Eucharastic Adoration hour, or one of the two annual pilgrimages for a fuller experience.

• Address: 22741 N. Highway 71, Winslow, AR 72959
• Phone: (479) 409-4395
• Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m. preceded by the Chaplet of Mercy and rosary
• Handicap-accessible
• May and October pilgrimages