Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette - Twin Lakes, Wisconsin

(Photo provided/www.lasaletteshrine.org)

Destination: Near Lake Geneva, Wis., in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, the Missionaries of La Salette have built a shrine. It recalls an apparition of the Blessed Virgin, an event which inspired the foundation of their order.
Mass in the shrine chapel is at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday.
Why to go:  In September 1846, Melanie  and Maximin, shepherds in the French Alps, saw a “beautiful lady,” cloaked in light. She was weeping, and she told them of her love and concern for all her children, who, she said, needed to come back to God.
She encouraged them to pray well — “at night and in the morning, even if you say only an Our Father and a Hail Mary when you can’t do better” — and to go to Mass.
When the Missionaries of La Salette came to Wisconsin, they built a replica of the shrine in the Alps that they had left behind.
With advance reservations, the shrine offers group pilgrimages. Families and individuals are welcome without notice.
Special events: Friday through Sunday, 5-9 p.m., beginning Dec. 5 and continuing through Jan. 1, the shrine will hold its annual Festival of Lights.
Amenities: There is a gift shop at the shrine, as well as nearby public lodging.
Access: The shrine is on rolling ground. Paths may be difficult, especially after a snowfall.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children saw Our Lady at La Salette, and are more than welcome at the shrine. To introduce them to the story, check the video on the Web site. (It’s an old video, but it gets the story across.)
Info: Address — La Salette Missionaries and Shrine, 10330  336th Ave., P.O. Box 777, Twin Lakes, WI 53181.  Phone — 262/877-3373, ext. 151. Web — www.lasaletteshrine.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org