FOR RELEASE
Our Lady of Guadalupe Statue from Mexico Coming to National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion March 6 – March 11 event part of worldwide tour in preparation for 500th anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe
CHAMPION, WISCONSIN – The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, the first and only approved Marian apparition site in the U.S., will host a life-sized, hyper-realistic statue known as the Pilgrim Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mar. 6 – Mar. 11, 2026. Visitors are invited to participate in Virgen Peregrina: Por la Paz y el Amor (Pilgrim Mother: For Peace and Love), a sacred and moving experience that brings the message of Tepeyac to those unable to visit the Basilica in Mexico City.
The sculpture originates from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and was created by Mexican artist Jorge Ismael Rodrígue. “This veneration experience will awaken a renewed sense of devotion and will build the ties between our nations,” said Monsignor Hernández Díaz, Rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The stop in Champion is part of a worldwide tour in preparation for the 500th anniversary in 2031 of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in 1531. In 2022, Pope Francis called for a nine-year novena leading up to it, sparking initiatives like the Pilgrim Statue Tour to foster devotion and unity across the Americas.
This visit offers a unique and profound opportunity to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe’s apparition, especially meaningful at Champion Shrine, the site of the only approved Marian apparition in the United States. The convergence of these two historic apparitions deepens our spiritual connection across the continent and invites pilgrims to renew their faith and devotion.
The event will include an Opening Mass at 11:30 a.m., on Friday, March 6, celebrated by Green Bay Bishop David L. Ricken. Each day that week, Mar. 6 – Mar. 11, will include a Pilgrim Experience, a one-hour time slot dedicated to education and personal veneration with the life-size traveling Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. During this hour, pilgrims will view a brief presentation, have time for quiet prayer and veneration, and may submit prayer intentions to be carried to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
A full schedule of events is at championshrine.org/guadalupe.
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About the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion
Located in Champion, Wisconsin, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion is the first and only Marian Apparition Site in the United States approved by the authority of the Catholic Church. The Shrine covers the peace-filled holy ground where Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to a Belgian immigrant woman, Adele Brice, on October 9, 1859, identifying herself as “The Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners.” Recognized under the title of “Our Lady of Good Help” before 2023, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion continues the mission of Servant of God Adele Brice – to foster conversion, teach the children, and minister to the sick and old.
For more information on the Shrine, its history, and events, visit championshrine.org or follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. To sign up for its newsletter, click here.