Faith Across the Miles: What a Wisconsin Shrine Teaches California Catholics About Healing

In the rolling farmland of Champion, Wisconsin, a quiet but profound spiritual legacy endures. It is here, in 1859, that a Belgian immigrant named Adele Brice encountered a radiant woman in white who identified herself as the Virgin Mary. Her message was simple yet timeless: pray for the conversion of sinners and teach children the faith. The final assurance given to Brice—”Go and fear nothing, I will help you”—resonates far beyond that rural setting.

Today, this site, the only Church-approved Marian apparition in the United States, is drawing the attention of Catholics from Los Angeles. Joe Sanders, a Knight of Malta from Pasadena, has become a bridge between Southern California and this Midwestern sanctuary. His work involves investigating testimonials of miraculous healing, a process reminiscent of the famous shrine at Lourdes. For Sanders, it is “a labor of love,” not for a medical professional, but for a man devoted to the Church and to publicizing a place of profound healing.

The story of Champion is not merely a historical footnote; it is a living testament to the belief that divine grace can manifest in the most unexpected places. The shrine’s mission to document healings serves as a reminder that spiritual and physical restoration are often intertwined, inviting the faithful to consider how a message delivered to a humble immigrant woman over a century ago still calls us to conversion and trust.