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From December 9 through 12, the Church in America commemorates
the appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe
in present-day Mexico City. It was during these days in 1531 that
Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to the Native American, Saint
Juan Diego. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared five times as a sign
of the infinite mercy and love of God the Father for all His children,
most fully and perfectly expressed in the conception of God the
Son in her womb. On December 12, she appeared to the local Bishop,
Juan de Zumarrága, by leaving her image miraculously depicted
on the mantle (tilma) of Saint Juan Diego. The tilma of Saint
Juan Diego continues to be venerated today in the Basilica of
Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Many spiritual favors have
been received by those who have come to venerate the image of
Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The greatest poverty and suffering of our time is spiritual,
the loss of a sense of who we are as children of God and, therefore,
the loss of hope and direction in our lives. Our spiritual poverty
demands a spiritual remedy. The Coming of the Son of God into
the world is the true and lasting remedy of our spiritual poverty,
God the Father's perfect act of love for us as His sons
and daughters. The Mother of God, Our Lady of Guadalupe, is constantly
directing us to the mystery of the Incarnation which gives us
unfailing hope and sound direction for our lives. The Shrine of
Our Lady of Guadalupe will be a proven means by which the Mother
of God can lead us to her Incarnate Son to discover anew our dignity
as sons and daughters of God in Him, to be filled with hope and
to give hope to our world.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin
recalls the appearances of 1531 and proclaims once again her
message of God's mercy and love. The Shrine, a place of
pilgrimage, announces anew Our Lady's message of God's mercy and
love in our personal lives. In April of 1999, in preparation
for the celebration of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, the
Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant
People published two documents which present the perennial place
of shrines and pilgrimages to shrines in the life of God's
holy people. These documents illustrate the significance of the
Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and of eventual pilgrimage to
the Shrine.
Copies of the two documents may be obtained through
the Shrine gift shop.
In the preparation of the Great Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John
Paul II confirmed the importance of shrines and pilgrimages to
shrines for our spiritual life. In my ministry as Bishop of La
Crosse and now as Archbishop of St. Louis, I have noted the wholehearted response of the faithful
during pilgrimages over
the past several years. It has been my desire to provide a place
of authentic devotion to Mary, the Mother of God, to which the
faithful may go on pilgrimage.
In response to my request, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II gave his Apostolic
Blessing to the work of establishing such a place of pilgrimage,
the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
A shrine, not a parish
The Shrine will not be a parish. Rather, it will be a place
of pilgrimage for Catholics and other believers from throughout
the United States and beyond. Those who come to the Shrine will recall the
pilgrim nature of our earthly existence and ponder our lasting
home with God the Father toward which we journey each day. They
will come to the Shine to hear again the message of Our Lady of
Guadalupe and to draw from it inspiration and strength for their
daily living. Thus, the Shrine becomes a parish of pilgrims, whose
common journey provides the framework for the spiritual activity
of the Shrine.
Time Framework/Schedule
Clearly, as you read a description of the Shrine complex in
detail, you will understand why it will take several years to
complete the entire complex. The Pilgrim Center, the
Mother of Good Counsel Votive Candle
Chapel, the meditation trail and the outside Stations of the
Cross are completed. Construction of
the Shrine Church began on May 13, 2004 and is projected to
be completed by summer, 2007.
Your prayers and
support are very
much needed. May God reward you abundantly for your
sacrifice.
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Homilies
Delivered by
Most Reverend
Raymond L. Burke
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