The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin will be dedicated by its Founder during the week of July 28.  Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis and former Bishop of La Crosse will dedicate the shrine which memorializes the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mexico in 1531.

The Shrine serves the spiritual needs of those who suffer poverty in body and soul. It is a place of ceaseless prayer for the corporal and spiritual welfare of God's children, especially those in most need. In fidelity to its mission as a place of religious pilgrimage, the Shrine pays homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America and Star of the New Evangelization and honors her as the Patroness of the Unborn.

Archbishop Burke said:

The Shrine is a place of pilgrimage. It recalls the appearances of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531 and proclaims once again her message of God's mercy and love.

In the preparation of the Great Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II confirmed the importance of shrines and pilgrimages to shrines for our spiritual life. In my ministry as Bishop of La Crosse and now as Archbishop of St. Louis, I have noted the wholehearted response of the faithful during pilgrimages over the past several years. It has been my desire to provide a place of authentic devotion to Mary, the Mother of God, to which the faithful may go on pilgrimage. In response to my request, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II gave his Apostolic Blessing to the work of establishing such a place of pilgrimage, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

For complete information on the shrine and its dedication, click here: http://www.guadalupeshrine.org/Home/Home.asp .