Make your way to your local airport to board your flight(s) to Green Bay Airport. Arrive in Green Bay, and make your way to St. Francis Xavier Cathedral where we will first take a tour. Established in 1851, and consecrated in 1881, the Cathedral is of Romanesque architecture, modeling after the Ludwigkirche in Munich, Germany. Behind the altar is a 40 by 25 foot mural entitled “The Crucifixion” that was painted in 1883 by Johann Schmitt, a German immigrant. In addition, eight additional paintings of his were installed throughout the Cathedral representing the eight beatitudes. We will celebrate a private Mass, followed by free time for lunch on your own. From there, we will make our way to the Hotel in time for check-in, with plenty of time to relax and unpack. We will host a “Welcome Dinner” that evening, and then you can retire to your room for a restful nights sleep.

The morning begins with a continental breakfast at your hotel. From there we will board our bus and make our way to Hubertus (Holy Hill). This Shrine includes a beautiful Church built atop a high glacial hill. Originally a small Chapel built in 1863, and dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians. Later, in 1906, the site turned over to the Discalced Carmelites of Bavaria, and then in 1931 they constructed a Church and Monastery. More than 500,000 pilgrims from all over the world visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians per year. Some come to admire the architecture, while others come to worship. We will celebrate a private Mass at the Holy Hill, and then we will have free time to spend at your own leisure to have lunch. We will have some free time for additional prayer or a visit to the Gift Shop, before we make our way back to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.

We will start the day with breakfast and then make our way to the town of Champion which is where the National Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Champion is located. This is an internationally recognized Holy site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared. It was here on October 8, 1871 that Adele Brise said the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her and asked her to teach religion to children. Soon after, Adele’s father built a Chapel. When the Peshtigo fire spread across Green Bay on October 8, 1871 – the residents spent the entire night walking around the Chapel grounds praying the rosary and carrying a statue of Mary. Everything outside a five-acre radius was burned. Each year, the people reenact the historic procession (in addition to gathering on August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven.) The days will start by arriving at the Mother of Mercy Hall for a welcoming, and then enjoy a History Talk of the Shrine. We will say the Rosary in the Chapel, and then celebrate Mass. We will have some free time to get lunch on your own, and then visit and pray at the many devotional areas on the Shrine grounds (including: Apparition Oratory, Our Lady of Fatima Grotto, Rosary Walk, St. Francis Grotto, and the Stations of the Cross). We will have some time to visit the Gift Shop, and then say the Divine Mercy Chaplet before we make our way back to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we will make our way to National Shrine of St. Joseph to visit the National Shrine of St. Joseph. There will be time to pray at the Statue of St. Joseph followed by free time for lunch. From there, we will visit St. Norbert Abbey. In 1893, two Norbertine Priests and one Brother left Berne Abbey in Holland for a journey to northeastern Wisconsin. Reverend Pennings, O.Praem led the group to take up pastoral work to the immigrants of Belgium, Holland, and France who had settled in Wisconsin. In 1894, they were augmented by two additional Dutch Norbertines, allowing them to accept a Parish in De Pere, where National Shrine of St. Joseph would later be developed, as well as founding what would become St. Norbert Abbey. The De Pere Norbertines continued to serve the Church in Wisconsin in education, Parishes, Broadcasting (WBAY-TV), and its Center for Norbertine Spirituality. Now, 900 years later, the vision of St. Norbert continues through Norbertine communities across the world. They dedicate themselves to prayer, and sharing a common life and serving local needs. (Fun Fact: Two Abbeys originally founded by St. Norbert have also become independent Canonries of the worldwide Norbertine Order – and they are located in Paoli (PA), and Albuquerque.) You will have some free time for prayer on your own. We will then join the Norbertines for Evening Prayers (Vespers), before returning to our Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Enjoy continental breakfast at your hotel before check-out. Then transfer to the airport for your departure, leaving with wonderful memories of new friends and renewed spirits from your Pilgrimage in Wisconsin.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.