Venerable Father Samuel Mazzuchelli Rectory, Grave -- Benton, Wis.

Destination: Whether planning a day trip or a summer vacation, a stop at Benton, Wis., on Wis. Rt. 81 near the Mississippi in southwest Wisconsin, is worth the detour. Across the street from a park that features a veteran’s memorial is the well-tended final resting place of a pioneer Dominican priest, Father Samuel Mazzuchelli.

Mass is offered at 8:30 a.m. Sundays at St. Patrick Parish. (The parish is served from St. Rose of Lima in Cuba City, Wis., and shares a website; see below.)

Photo: Top -- Venerable Father Samuel Mazzuchelli lived in this tiny rectory in Benton, Wis. It sits at the back of the parking lot on the west side of St. Patrick Parish on Wis. Rt. 81 (Observer photos/Sharon Boehlefeld).

Middle -- Father Samuel Mazzuchelli’s grave is behind St Patrick Church.

Bottom -- Signs on St. Patrick Church in Benton, Wis., explain its history.

Why to go: Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, O.P., now declared venerable, founded several parishes for Bishop Matthias Loras in the Dubuque (Iowa) Diocese, which originally crossed the Mississippi River and included parts of northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. Father Mazzuchelli founded St. Michael Parish in Galena in 1832, the oldest in what would become the Rockford Diocese.

In the grave behind St. Patrick Parish, Father Mazzuchelli’s grave is surrounded by graves of many of the founding sisters of the Sinsinawa Dominicans, which he also founded. 

Born in 1806 in Milan, Italy, he arrived in the American frontier at age 22. He worked tirelessly for the Church as a Dominican priest until his death from pneumonia in 1864 in Benton.

He was a defender of religious liberty, having fought for the right of Catholic soldiers at Fort Mackinac, Mich., to attend Sunday Mass.

He also designed and built more than 24 churches and civic buildings before his death at the age of 57.

Admission: While the rectory is only open during special events near the anniversary of his death in February, it is possible to visit the grave and look into the rectory at any time.  Call ahead for possible open days.

Accessibility: Nicely leveled walkways make the sites accessible to most. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: If the weather is nice, this is a great place to plan a family picnic on a road trip. 

Info: Address — St. Patrick Church, 237 E. Main St., Benton, WI 53803
Phone — (608) 759-2131
Websites — (church) https://strosecubacity.weconnect.com/
(history) https://www.sinsinawa.org/mazzuchelli/mazzuchelli.html

— Sharon Boehlefeld wrote this story after visiting Benton, Wis.  

Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH: National Shrine of St. Joseph -- De Pere, Wis.

Destination: Just a few hours north of the Rockford Diocese is the National Shrine of St. Joseph on the campus of St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. 

Masses are daily at noon, and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.  

From March 10-19, the  solemn Novena to St. Joseph follows 6 p.m. confessions and 7 p.m. Mass.

Why to go: The National Shrine of St. Joseph is located in the oratory of Old St. Joseph Church on the St. Norbert College campus. The shrine and its perpetual novena were originally established on this site in 1888. 

French-Canadian  Catholics came to the De Pere area in the mid-19th century to work in the lumber mills. In 1870, a parish named in honor of St. Joseph was established to serve them.

Special events: The 134th annual Novena Mass in honor of St. Joseph on March 19  this year will be broadcast live on EWTN at 5:30 p.m. Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay will preside and Father Don Calloway, MIC, will offer the homily. 

The shrine is offering an online conference about the Year of St. Joseph on March 19. The conference will feature the rededication of the shrine’s statue of St. Joseph. Speakers will cover a variety of topics, including a general overview of St. Joseph, life in his times, devotions to St. Joseph, and his special role as protector of the family. Learn more at http://box5320.temp.domains/~theyeav3/.

Hours: The shrine is open to the public 6 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.

Accessibility: Much of the campus appears to be accessible to the handicapped. Take a virtual tour of the site at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLTk10x63cQ.

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.

Info: Address — National Shrine of St. Joseph, Old St. Joseph Church, 123 Grant St., De Pere, WI 54115 

Phone — 920-403-3010 

Website — https://www.snc.edu/parish/shrine.html

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to sboehlefeld@rockforddiocese.org

St. Francis Xavier Cathedral - Green Bay, Wis.

(Observer photo/Penny Wiegert)

Destination: Given that we live in a diocese where people quip that “mixed marriages” involve Bears and Packers fans, anyone from here might make a trip to Green Bay or Door County in Wisconsin. In addition to planning a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wis., plan a stop at the cathedral in this very Catholic city, too.
Mass times are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8:30 a.m.; Saturdays, 4 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m.

(Observer photo/Sam Lucero, The Compass)

Photos: (Left) Behind the main altar at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay is   a 40 by 25 foot mural entitled “The Crucifixion,” one of several paintings restored during recent renovations.
(Right) St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is a short walk from several downtown hotels.
Why to go: Consecrated in 1881, but founded as a parish in 1851, the most recent renovations at Green Bay’s cathedral were made in honor of the diocese’s 150th anniversary. In addition to beautifully restored paintings, updates included the altar of white Carrara marble with relics of SS. Boniface, Timothy, Tiburtius and Francis Xavier in the altar stone. The figures of the four evangelists painted on the ceiling of the sanctuary were among paintings restored. An altar dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on the left side of the sanctuary is the only original altar from 1881. Known as the Peace altar since World War I, it honors the men and women of the parish who served in the armed forces. The Bishop Wycislo Center (the building connected to the cathedral on the north side) houses the diocese’s museum.
Handicapped accessibility: This cathedral is loaded with steps, but there is an elevator entrance from the Bishop Wycislo Center.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course kids are welcome in this active parish.
Info: Address — 139 S. Madison, Green Bay, WI 54301
 Phone — 920/432-4348 
Website — https://sfxcathedralgb.com/
—  Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Basilica of St. Josaphat -- Milwaukee, Wis.

(Observer photos/www.thebasilica.org)

Destination: If you head to Milwaukee for any reason, you might want to schedule a stop at the Basilica of St. Josaphat, named the third basilica in the United States.
Mass times are Sundays, 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and noon; Saturdays, 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.; Wednesday, noon.
Why to go: St. Josaphat Parish began in 1888 as an offshoot of Saint Stanislaus Parish and became the largest Polish parish in Wisconsin.  The Poles were Milwaukee’s second largest immigrant group after Germans, only some of whom were Catholic. The first St. Josaphat Church burned to the ground in 1889 and the second soon proved too small. The community broke ground for a new church in 1896 and finished  it in 1901.
The architect designed a church that was meant to be a smaller version of St. Peter’s in Rome, with a cross-shaped floor plan and huge central dome.
The plans were nearly complete when Father Wilhelm Grutza, the pastor, learned the Chicago Post Office and Custom House needed to be torn down. He bought it for $20,000. The Chicago building was dismantled and the salvaged material brought to Milwaukee in 500 railroad flatcars.
When it was finished, the basilical had a dome that in the U.S. was second in size only to the capital in Washington, D.C.
Despite using salvaged materials, cost overruns left the parish in debt. In 1910, at the request of the archdiocese, the Conventual Franciscan Friars took over administration of the parish, and the debt was retired in 1925.
Amenities: The basilica and visitor center are open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., for visits and tours. There is also a tour every Sunday following the 10 a.m. Mass.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The basilica welcomes families.
Info: Address — The Basilica of St. Josaphat, 2333 S. Sixth St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53215
Phone — 414/645-5623 \
Website — www.thebasilica.org
—  Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help - Champion, Wisconsin

(Photo by Sam Lucero, The Compass, Official Newspaper
of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay)

Destination: On Dec. 8, Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay (Wis.) approved the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help the as first and only site in the United States where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared.
Masses are 8 a.m. Monday, 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, 7 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Saturday. There is an 8 a.m. First Friday Mass. There are no Masses on Sunday and Thursday. There is a 2 p.m. Holy Hour on Sunday.

In photo worshippers pray in the crypt, in the spot where the Blessed Mother appeared to Adele Brise in 1859. The crypt is located just below the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help chapel.
Why to go: In October 1859, Adele Brise, a Belgian immigrant, saw Mary, “The Queen of Heaven,” three times at the northern Wisconsin site. It was just a year after the Marian apparitions at Lourdes. Now known as Champion, the town was called Robinsonville in 1859. (For directions, look for the shrine about 15 miles north of Green Bay and 1 mile east of Champion on Kewaunee County Highway K near New Franken, Wisconsin.)
In her third visit, Mary asked Adele to work to bring the area’s Native Americans to Jesus by teaching them prayers and about the sacraments. She took the request very seriously and, called Sister Adele, devoted her life to teaching others about God.
Adele’s father built a crude chapel between the two trees where Mary appeared. Today, there is a small church on the spot.
Special events: Since 1861, there has been an outdoor Mass on Aug. 15, the Feast of the Assumption. It includes a rosary procession around the outer parameter of the shrine grounds, something the  first devotees did during the Peshtigo Fire. Remarkably, the site was spared when the fire took 2,500 lives in northern Wisconsin on the same day as the Great Chicago Fire, Oct. 8, 1871.
Access: The crypt over the original apparition site is on the lower level of the chapel.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Sister Adele founded a free school for children; she would welcome young visitors today.
Info: Address — Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, 4047 Chapel Dr., New Franken, WI 54229
Phone — 920/866- 2571 Web — www.shrineofourladyofgoodhelp.com

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org
Editor's note: updated May 22, 2015

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

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe - LaCrosse, Wisconsin

(Photo provided)

Destination: The Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe is in LaCrosse, Wis.
Sunday Masses are held in Latin at 9:30 a.m. and in English at 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mass is at 11 a.m. The shrine is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Why to go: This nearby shrine is among the newest in the United States. It was dedicated July 31, 2008. Archbishop Raymond J. Burke, its founder, was the main celebrant at the dedication Mass. It is also home of the Memorial to the Unborn, which was dedicated Dec. 12, 2008, on the feast day of the shrine’s patron saint. It is not a parish, but a pilgrimage destination.
Among completed projects at the shrine are the Pilgrim Center, Mother of Good Counsel Votive Candle Chapel, Meditation Trail and devotional areas, outdoor Stations of the Cross and Rosary Walk.
Special events: Two Marian conferences are scheduled soon at the shrine.
May 31, 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m.: “Am I Not Your Mother?” Cost, including lunch, $30. Info: at shrine Web site.
July 31-Aug. 1: 3rd annual Queen of the Americas Guild Marian conference. Cost: $60. Info: www.queenoftheamericasguild.org.
Ammenities: Flores Mariae Gift Shop is open daily, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Culina Mariana Restaurant is open for full meals, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., and for beverages and snacks, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. With reservations (608/788-8400), it can accommodate group events. Both are in the Pilgrim Center.
Access: The shrine is intended to be as accessible as possible while retaining the character of a pilgrimage. Visitors with special needs may call ahead for information about the terrain.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children are welcome, but adults who bring them are encouraged to keep them on the path, because poison ivy is among the shrine’s native plants.
Info: Address: Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 5250 Justin Road, La Crosse, WI 54601.  Phone: 608/782-5440. Web: www.guadalupeshrine.org

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

Sinsinawa Mound - Sinsinawa, Wis.

(Observer photo by Tony Carton)

Destination: Sinsinawa Mound, located in southwest Wisconsin, is home to more than 600 Dominican Sisters who are dedicated to preaching and teaching the Gospel. While visiting, attend Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. with the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters in Queen of the Rosary Chapel.

Why to go: Located on 450 acres of lush woodlands, orchards, vineyards, fields, gardens, and a walking labyrinth, Sinsinawa Mound offers an ideal atmosphere for personal reflection, group retreats, and more.

Since its founding in 1847 by Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP, over 3,200 women have taken vows as Sinsinawa Dominicans before departing their Mound home, inspired, to preach and teach the Gospel in the United States and throughout the world.

The Mound houses the Mazzuchelli Exhibit, a display of Mazzuchelli artifacts, including his writing desk, chalice, chasuble, and penance chain. Pope John Paul II declared Mazzuchelli venerable in 1993, beginning a process that may lead to declaring Father Samuel a saint.

Every day, Sinsinawa Kitchens bakes hundreds of loaves of cinnamon bread, caramel rolls, and dinner rolls, zucchini bread, white, wheat, raisin, and health breads. Most are sold to customers visiting Sinsinawa Mound or shipped nationwide from www.sinsinawa.org

There is also a bookshop and art gallery.

Walk the labyrinth and discover a new, yet ancient way to pray and meditate.

Special events: On Sept. 25, celebrate the 25th Annual Women’s Awareness Day featuring breakout sessions, meals, and the keynote, “Comedy Sportz,” stand up improv comedy.

Side trip: Consider a guided scooter Pie Ride. Depart Fever River Outfitters at 525 S. Main, Galena, any Friday at 10:30 a.m. on a 50cc motor scooter and arrive at The Mound when the fresh baked pies are coming hot from the ovens at Sinsinawa Kitchens. Learn more at www.feverriveroutfitters.com or call 815/776-9425.

Access: Accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.

(Grand) Kid friendly: Yes, with plenty of room for exploring.

Info: Address: 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, WI 53824-9701. Phone: 608/748-4411 Web site: www.sinsinawa.org

-- Tony Carton
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org 

 
 

Holy Hill Shrine - Hubertus, Wis.

(Photo provided)

Destination: Holy Hill Shrine in Hubertus, Wis., is a peaceful, great place to visit for a day-trip or as a side-trip during a stay at Milwaukee. Daily Mass is at 11 a.m.

Why to go: This Shrine of Mary Help of Christians offers opportunities and settings for prayer and for walking or hiking on 435 acres. It is located on the highest elevation in southeast Wisconsin, so the view is great. A long-time tradition at Holy Hill has been to walk and pray the Stations of the Cross, winding up a paved (with stairs) path from the bottom of the hill to the second level chapel.

The shrine was elevated to the status of a minor basilica in 2006. Its newly-renovated upper church is bright and filled with stained glass windows portraying Mary’s life and her charisms. Mosaics of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, above the two side altars, point to the shrine’s relationship with the Discalced Carmelite friars who came to the Hill in 1906 at the invitation of Milwaukee’s Archbishop Messmer.

Even before the building of the hill’s first log chapel, pilgrims left crutches, leg braces and canes at Holy Hill, and the practice is continued today by pilgrims who believe that God has healed them through the power of intercessory prayer.

Special event: The 34th annual Arts and Crafts Fair will be Sept. 20, 2008, when more than 200 artists and craftsmen will participate. Admission is $4 for adults (children 12 and younger may attend for free).

Amenities:  The Holy Hill Café is open every day for lunch from May 1-Oct. 31 and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the rest of the year. Sunday brunch buffet is served year-round from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Simple, overnight accommodations are available in the retreat facilities.

Access: An elevator makes the church accessible. Enter through the front glass doors that lead to the shrine gift shop and go to the right to the elevators. But the retreat facilities are not accessible.

(Grand)Kid friendly: Yes. A picnic area is located at the beginning of the stations — walk down or drive to Station Way Road just east of the shrine’s main entrance on Rte. 167.

Info: Address: 1525 Carmel Road, Hubertus, WI 53033. Phone: 262/628-1838 Web site: www.holyhill.com

-- Amanda Hudson
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org