Shrine of the ‘Snowshoe Priest’ - L’ Anse, Michigan

(Observer photo by Amanda Hudson)

Destination: West of Marquette, Mich., between the towns of  Baraga and L’ Anse along U.S. Hwy. 41 is one of several sites that chronicle the history of Bishop Frederic Baraga. Look for the shrine’s “teepees” on the south side of the highway.
Masses at nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in L’Anse are at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
Why to go: The Shrine of the “Snowshoe Priest” features a statue of the bishop holding a pair of 26-foot tall snowshoes. Rising six stories above Red Rocks Bluff, the shrine overlooks virgin hardwoods, scenic coastline and the oldest mountains, geologically, in the world.
Five 9-foot-6-inch concrete teepees, each representing an Indian mission started by Bishop Baraga, hold curved wood beams that meet at a stainless steel cloud 25 feet above the ground. Atop the cloud is the 35-foot tall Bishop Baraga statue, snowshoes in his left hand and a 7-foot cross in his right.
Father Frederic Baraga, also called the Apostle of the Great Lakes, left present-day Slovenia in 1830 to come to the Great Lakes area to teach the native people about God. He traveled throughout the Upper Peninsula by canoe and on foot — wearing snowshoes in winter — to find, teach and celebrate sacraments for the Ottawa and Chippewa people. He established chapels and schools. He learned the Ottawa and Chippewa languages and wrote a Chippewa grammar and dictionary still used today. He became the first bishop of the Upper Peninsula, serving also the immigrants who came to work the copper mines.
Healings have been attributed to Bishop Baraga’s intercession, and the Bishop Baraga Association continues to promote his cause for canonization.
Ammenities: The grounds are always open. A gift and snack shop and restrooms are open 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, May 15-Oct. 15; Wednesday-Saturday, April 1-May 14 and Oct. 16-Dec. 24). The gift shop is known for pasties, a “yooper” (U-P) treat, which are served Thursday-Saturday.
Access: A quiet, unpaved road takes you back into the woods over railroad tracks and past piles of logs.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The kids will be impressed with the size of this bishop.
Info: Address — Shrine of The Snowshoe Priest, U.S. Hwy. 41, L’ Anse, Mich. Phone — 906/482-5240. Web — www.bishopbaraga.org

- Compiled by Amanda Hudson
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