As Americans gather this Independence Day weekend to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, a Marian shrine in Wisconsin is encouraging Catholics to mark the occasion with prayer, reflection, and renewed trust in God.
According to Vatican News, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion has launched a Novena for Our Nation, inviting the faithful to pray from July 1 through July 9 for unity, holiness, and spiritual renewal across the United States. The effort was written by Fr. Anthony Stephens, CPM, rector of the shrine, and has already resulted in the printing of more than 50,000 prayer cards.
The novena accompanies a special exhibition honoring the saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God connected to the United States. According to Vatican News, the exhibit brings together photographs, relics, and historical information from 76 shrines, highlighting the lives of holy men and women whose witness has shaped the nation’s spiritual history.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion holds a unique place in American Catholic history as the site of the only approved Marian apparition in the United States. According to Vatican News, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared three times in 1859 to Belgian immigrant Adele Brise, ultimately instructing her to “gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.”
Fr. Stephens said the shrine serves not only as a place of devotion but also as a center for teaching pilgrims about the history of the apparition and the Catholic faith.
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the exhibit, Fr. Stephens told Vatican News, “What was something unique we could do for the United States’ 250th birthday? They started bouncing ideas around and [then the suggestion was] let’s do something with the lives of holy Catholic Americans.”
The exhibition features Catholics from every background, demonstrating the universality of holiness. According to Vatican News, those represented include former slave Julia Greeley, Sioux medicine man Nicholas Black Elk, and St. Catherine Drexel, the wealthy heiress who dedicated her life to serving the poor and advancing Catholic education.
Fr. Stephens emphasized that Catholics have played a significant role throughout American history.
“Catholicism has left a deep imprint on this country and we [Catholics] have a lot to provide moving forward into the next however many years that the good Lord has for our country,” he said.
He also encouraged Catholics to recognize that the call to holiness continues today.
“I think there is plenty of things that we need to continue working on in terms of promoting a culture of life and bringing that stability that the faith has to offer,” Fr. Stephens said, according to Vatican News.
The shrine’s exhibit includes relics from fourteen of the featured holy men and women, including St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. John Henry Newman, Blessed Stanley Rother, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and Blessed Michael McGivney.
Although many observers point to declining religious participation in the United States, Fr. Stephens expressed cautious optimism about the future of the Church.
“I see a revival of a renewed interest in Catholicism, converts to the faith,” he said. He added that the shrine regularly welcomes Catholics, non-Catholics, and even people who have never been baptized who are drawn to visit the sacred site.
As the nation commemorates its 250th birthday, Fr. Stephens is inviting Americans to celebrate not only with fireworks, family gatherings, and patriotic traditions, but also by joining thousands of others in prayer, asking Our Lady to intercede for the country’s unity, faith, and future.
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