Guadalupe Shrine pilgrim shares experience

Last week, our family was blessed to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, WI.  The shrine was founded by Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, himself a Wisconsin native.  Nestled gently in the hills of LaCrosse, my impression of the Shrine was, “everything is done very well.”  From the most intricate details of the murals in the Church within the shrine, to the garden surrounding the Memorial to the Unborn, a tremendous amount of prayer and thought were put into the shrine.


The main chapel of the shrine is located at the top of a hill of LaCrosse but the path up to the main chapel is delightful and prayerful.  The first stop is at the votive chapel.  The chapel has a tower of candles, 576 candles, which is the largest in the US.  Around the edge of the chapel are various stained glass windows of our lady; Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Knock, Our Mother of good Counsel, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Loretto, Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.  Candles can be ordered to be lit online at the above link.  The limestone of the chapel is from Wisconsin and the stained glass were crafted in Minnesota.  The shrine is entirely Catholic and also Midwestern in very tangible ways.

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