Why pilgrims come
Understand the Marian devotion rooted in Champion, Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion preserves the place where Adele Brise reported three encounters with the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1859. Bishop David Ricken formally approved the apparitions in 2010, making Champion the first and only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States.
Champion is a quiet rural shrine shaped by the 1859 mission entrusted to Adele Brise: teach children the Catholic faith and help bring sinners to conversion. Begin in the Apparition Oratory beneath the church, then visit the History Center, pray the outdoor Stations of the Cross, and join the shrine’s liturgical life.
What to notice
Look closely at the place and its story
Apparition Oratory
Descend beneath the church to pray at the devotional heart of the shrine near the place associated with Adele’s encounters.
Adele Brise’s mission
The shrine centers on a practical command: gather children, teach them the faith, and prepare them for the sacraments.
History Center
Study the documented history of Adele, the Belgian immigrant community, the shrine, and the 2010 diocesan approval.
Outdoor Stations of the Cross
Make time for a slower prayerful walk through the grounds rather than treating the oratory as a brief photo stop.
Feasts, anniversaries & celebrations
Apparition timeline
1 recorded apparition dates
Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Adele Brise
How to read this page
Sources, tradition, and what is verified
The destination record was last checked on 9/15/2026.
This page records the site’s tradition as “Catholic.” That wording describes the nature of the claim and keeps devotional tradition distinct from independently verified history.