Prayer/Events Center to be Dedicated at Champion Shrine

(Champion, Wis.) – The National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help is ready to welcome more visitors in 2019 with the blessing and dedication of the new Mother of Mercy Hall. The public is invited to attend the first Mass and Blessing of Mother of Mercy Hall on April 28, 2019.

“As we celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Apparition, the addition of Mother of Mercy Hall will help us better accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims who make the trek to Champion Shrine,” said Don Warden, chief operations officer at the Shrine. “As the only church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States, more and more people are hearing about this special place and making plans to visit. This wonderful new hall will make it easier for us to welcome larger groups and conferences to better meet the mission given to Adele Brise in 1859 by our Blessed Mother to ‘gather the children…and teach them what they should now for salvation.’”

Mother of Mercy Hall is designed with flexibility in mind. It seats up to 1,200 people for Mass or conference gatherings with the ability to divide the main hall into smaller gathering spaces. The hall also has a pilgrimage coordination area, first-aid station and a kitchenette, for groups that have meals catered to the Shrine.

The Most Rev. David L. Ricken, Bishop of Green Bay will be the principal celebrant at Divine Mercy Sunday Mass with Father Francis Hoffman, known as “Father Rocky” on Relevant Radio, concelebrating along with the the Fathers of Mercy and Shrine Rector, Father John Broussard.

The guest speaker for Mother of Mercy Hall dedication day will be Drew Mariani, popular Catholic radio host on Relevant Radio. Mariani will also lead the first Divine Mercy Chaplet at Mother of Mercy Hall.

The dedication day events include:

10:30 a.m. – Group Rosary 1

1 a.m. – Mass and Rite of Blessing of the Building by Bishop David Ricken

12 p.m. – Blessing of the Replica Divine Mercy Painting donated by Boguslaw Bosak and acknowledgement of the permanent placement of the ‘Pietà’ statue donated by the Follett Family and Mercy Works Foundation

12:30-1 p.m. – Welcome reception with hors d’oeuvre’s sponsored by the John and Mary Dollar family.

1 p.m. – Remarks and Divine Mercy opening talk on Divine Mercy by Drew Mariani of Relevant Radio

2 p.m. – Holy Hour

3 p.m. – Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer led by Drew Mariani

Several speakers have already been scheduled for Mother of Mercy Hall, including:

May 11 – Marian Retreat Day / Fatima Day at Champion Shrine. Featured speakers will be Father Francisco Pereira, Chaplain at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Fatima, Portugal and David Carollo, executive director of the World Apostolate of Fatima.

August 14-15 – Feast Day for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The guest speaker will be Dr. Scott Hahn, the noted author and inspiring Catholic speaker.

October 1-9 – National Novena to Our Lady of Good Help guest speakers include:

October 3 – John Lombardi, grandson of Packers legendary coach Vince Lombardi

October 4-5 – Relevant Radio host Patrick Madrid

October 6 – Marion Mulhall, founder of worldpriestday. com.

October 7 – Father Ubald Rugirangoga, the Rwandan priest who lost more than 80 family members and 45,000 parishioners in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help is located at 4047 Chapel Drive in Champion, centrally located between Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay and Algoma. It is open 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.ShrineOfOurLady- OfGoodHelp.com. ### VIA TIMES