National Shrine of Mary, Mother of the Church - Laurie, Missouri

(Photo provided)

Destination: The National Shrine of Mary, Mother of the Church is midway between I-70 (at Boonville) and I-44 (at Lebanon) on Missouri Rte. 5 near Laurie, Mo. It is in the heart of the Lake of the Ozarks vacation area.
Daily Mass is at 9 a.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend; Saturday Masses are at 5 p.m. (inside) and 8 p.m. (outside); Sunday, at 8 a.m. (outside) and 10 a.m. (inside). Fall and winter Masses are at 5 p.m Saturday.
Why to go: Commonly known as the Mother’s Shrine, it features a 14-foot, stainless-steel sculpture, standing in a natural amphitheater and overlooking a waterfall that flows into a reflecting pool with fountains. It is surrounded by the shrine’s Mothers’ Wall.
Father Fred J. Barnett began construction on the shrine in the mid-1980s to honor Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and to handle the overflow summer crowds at Masses. It was dedicated in 1988 as Mary, Mother of the Church.
The sculpture of Mary, set in 1992, was created by Don Weigand, Chesterfield, Mo., and commissioned by John Fabick and the Fabick Charitable Trust.
The Mothers’ Wall holds names engraved in polished black granite. Among the names already listed on the wall are the mothers of Pope John Paul II and the late Jane Wyman. The first name was engraved on the Mothers’ Wall on April 1, 1999, and more are being added.
Amenities: There is a gift shop that offers memorabilia from the shrine and the nearby St. Patrick churches (there are three in the vicinity.)
Access: The rolling landscape features plenty of paved walkways, but they are dotted with frequent steps. Most are two or three steps high.
(Grand) Kid friendly: It’s an outdoor shrine that can provide kids with plenty of stretching space.
Info: Address: National Shrine of Mary, Mother of the Church, P.O. Box 1250, Laurie, Mo. 65038. Phone: 573/374-6279. Web: www.mothersshrine.com

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
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