WBAY2Less than 24 hours after a Brown County shrine was featured on national television, the man who declared it an official Marian apparition site is sharing his thoughts on the program.
Our Lady of Good Help was featured on a "Primetime Nightline" special. For the little shrine in the little community of Champion, the secret is out.
"I think they did a beautiful job on that," Green Bay Catholic Bishop David Ricken said of the way the shrine was featured.
"I think the solemnity of the shrine, its 150-year history, the simplicity of the message, the life of Adele Brice, how she lived out that mission the Blessed Mother gave to her, I think that came through in a very humble but striking way."
"I thought it'd be mostly in Wisconsin and the northern part of the country here, maybe neighboring states. I figured it'd take several years before people really heard about it or understood it, so I didn't dream of all this that's for sure," Bishop Ricken acknowledged.
The reality is, up to one thousand people a day are flocking to the shrine from around the country, praying for peace and healing.
"Some people ridicule it, but that's each person's choice. We're not forcing people to believe, of course; belief is a personal matter, but it needs to be listened to, and if something is there that attracts people, they need to pay attention to it because it may be a little invitation from God to get closer."
"We fill our lives with all kinds of things, much of which is really not that important, so going there to that shrine puts them in touch with God, who lives inside, and that deep longing for peace and unity with God that we were born with, we were created with."
To meet the needs of guests, the diocese has appointed two priests to serve full-time, as well as upgraded sidewalks and restroom facilities. More parking space is next on the agenda.
The bishop also plans to explore the possibility of building a larger church and conference center and expanding the gift shop.
I have it recorded but haven't watched it yet. The very beginning was... well, bad. But they weren't talking about the Good Help Shrine yet at that point.