IN the NEWS - Wisconsin: Commandments of Men...

"Nearly 160 years ago, on Oct. 9, 1859, Mary appeared to a young Belgian immigrant living in Kewaunee County, located in eastern Wisconsin on Lake Michigan and near Green Bay. Today, it’s the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States. On Aug. 15, the feast day...the U.S. bishops formally designated the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion as a national shrine.

More than 1,500 people attended the outdoor Mass, which was followed by the annual rosary procession around the shrine grounds.
Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki of Milwaukee was the main celebrant of the Mass, with Ricken as homilist. Bishop James P. Powers of Superior and numerous priests of the Diocese of Green Bay were concelebrants.

“I am deeply thankful for the faith, devotion and unwavering commitment to all those who have been stewards and caretakers of the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help for the past several generations,” Ricken said during his homily.
“Each of them simply followed the whispers of their own deep faith and in doing so, preserved and advanced the shrine,” he continued. “They carried the inspiring story of Adele Brise, a young Belgian woman to whom the Blessed Mother appeared.
“They carried this message in their own hearts, passing it on from one generation to the next, freely sharing it with all who came seeking, searching and praying.”



A priest listens to confessions outside of the
National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help
in Champion, Wis., Aug. 15.

To be granted such a designation, a shrine must meet several requirements, including:

• Has served as a diocesan shrine and place of pilgrimage for at least 10 years.
• Operates under statutes approved by the diocesan bishop.
• Is easily accessible, with appropriate facilities for pilgrims.
• Is dedicated to promoting the faith of the pilgrims by centering on a mystery of the Catholic faith, a devotion based on authentic church tradition, on revelations recognized by the church or on the lives of those in the church’s calendar of saints.

A national shrine also must nourish the spiritual lives of pilgrims by offering celebrations of the liturgy, and develop and utilize some form of common prayer, such as the Liturgy of the Hours. It also needs to have enough liturgical ministers to provide adequate pastoral care for pilgrims, especially for various language groups, and provide sacramental celebrations in various languages."
CRUX

But in vain they do worship me,

teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Matthew 15:9