The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion expects record turnout for this year’s Walk to Mary on May 2, a 22-mile pilgrimage to the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.
A seven-mile, 14-mile and 1.7-mile route are also available. The pilgrimage ends at the shrine, where a woman named Adele Brice saw Mary on Oct. 9, 1859, according to the shrine’s website.
The shrine’s grounds survived the 1871 Great Peshtigo Fire that ruined 1.2 million acres and killed thousands of people. The grounds were named a National Shrine by the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2016.
The annual Walk to Mary pilgrimage is held on the first Saturday of May. It starts at the National Shrine of St. Joseph in De Pere and goes to The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in the Town of Green Bay.
In January, Green Bay Bishop David Ricken announced the diocese is moving forward in the process toward sainthood for Brice. That’s why the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion expects a record number of over 10,000 pilgrims at the walk.
In March, registration was already up 80% compared to last year.
Here are the details on registration and the weekend schedule.
Appleton family leads children’s walk
In the summer of 2024, Brett Jedwabny suffered a traumatic brain injury in Appleton. He was using power washer to clean a garden hose cart when a piece of a wheel from the cart struck just above his eye. He went into a coma and had to be airlifted to Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
His family says his healing was a miracle. Tyler Jedwabny, Brett’s dad, said a priest who visited Brett in the hospital said he saw Jesus when Brett was in a coma.
The family on May 2 will lead the 1.7-mile Walk with the Children.
Is registration still open for the walk?
Registration costs $25 for adults and $10 for students. The children’s walk is $25 per family. Children younger than 4 are free.
Day of registration isn’t allowed. Register at walktomary.com/register.
Weekend schedule
May 1
May 2
May 3
Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Record turnout expected for Walk to Mary to Our Lady of Champion shrine
Reporting by Benita Mathew, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
