Retirement Misadventures: Another Pilgrimage: Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

I have recently returned from Wisconsin where I have gone on yet another pilgrimage. Although this one was not as strenuous or as far from home it made considerable impact on my life. I think mostly due to the people who traveled the pilgrimage with me.

downtown La Crosse, WI

One of my dearest friends received a diagnosis of ALS last year in August. This was such devastating news to her and all her family and friends. After initially grieving, she and her family began doing their own research and found she had some options. Since that time she has been such a model of positivity with a newfound eagerness to find joy in her life. She is beating the odds of this devastating disease and I am so proud to know her and be one of her friends that she wishes to share her joys with. Her faith in God throughout this journey has not wavered and she places her continued abilities to His credit.

Several months after she was diagnosed she asked me and another friend to go on this pilgrimage with her. She had learned of this from her family after telling them about my pilgrimage to Spain last year. Although Spain was not something she was prepared to attempt, this pilgrimage to The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe was a great opportunity. And so the three of us began planning our pilgrimage. There were so many scheduling conflicts it was hard to narrow down a stretch of time when this would be possible but finally a date was set.

Despite some last minute scheduling conflicts we were able to embark on our journey on the day planned. We took our time driving from southern Illinois to Wisconsin. We stopped frequently and enjoyed picnic lunches at roadside rest stops. We enjoyed watching the scenery change as we traveled north through Illinois and into Wisconsin. Arriving in the early evening at our reserved stay in Wisconsin we were pleased to find wonderful accommodations at the Wilson Schoolhouse Inn which was about a mile from the Shrine.

Wilson Schoolhouse Inn

The Wilson Schoolhouse Inn is an historic one room schoolhouse listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings which has been lovingly restored and converted to accommodate guests. The upper floor still has the original windows and flooring as well as some cabinetry and chalkboard from the school house. This space now has a well appointed kitchen, living space and full bathroom. Downstairs there are 2 bedrooms, a full bathroom and another sitting area tucked away. The owners reside in their home close enough in case assistance was needed yet far enough to afford privacy. Since our trio are all big history enthusiasts we greatly enjoyed our time there. It's location to the Shrine and downtown La Crosse could not have been better. https://www.wilsonschoolhouseinn.com/

On our first night in Wisconsin we had reserved a ghost tour of historic downtown La Crosse. This was such a charming town and the ghost tour did not disappoint. Michael Scott describes himself as a "professional storyteller" and his easy, friendly manner and abundant knowledge of the area provided a fun hour or so of entertainment. http://www.footstepsoflacrosse.org/tours/ghosts-of-historic-la-crosse

Entrance to International Gardens
where ghost tour began

Our tour of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe was scheduled for the following day. So after a good night's rest we were up and having a leisurely breakfast before visiting the shrine.

After attending mass in the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe we were met by our tour guide, a wizened, old gentleman who knew all the history of the shrine. He met us in the narthex of the church. He provided the history of how the shrine came to be through the vision of then-Bishop Burke. He told of how a timely donation of acreage for the building of the shrine followed Bishop Burke's prayers to Our Lady of Guadalupe for a Marian Shrine. Through the generous support of many the church was built and the grounds developed. In addition to the Shrine Church there is also a visitor center with gift shop and café, Mother of Good Counsel Votive Candle Chapel, outdoor Stations of the Cross, Rosary Walk, and a Memorial to the Unborn. There are also devotional areas dedicated to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha and Saint Joseph the Workman. To reach the church requires a walk of about half mile up from the parking lot on a beautiful tract of land. The Votive Candle Chapel is encountered part way up the path allowing time for reflection and to break up the walk.

As with the pilgrimage to Spain, a plenary indulgence is possible. Conditions for gaining the indulgence are met by visiting the Shrine Church and praying the Apostle's Creed and Our Father in addition to the usual conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence (sacramental Confession, Holy Communion, and praying for the intentions of the Pope). In an article for the St. Louis Review, March 7, 2008, then-archbishop Burke wrote "Pilgrimage... is a deeply spiritual expression of the meaning of life itself, which is a journey from the moment of conception to the moment of death. On pilgrimage, we remember that here on earth, we have no lasting city and that our days on earth, be they many or few, are a journey to the lasting home which our Lord has prepared for us in Heaven."

Following the visitation at the shrine we returned to La Crosse to share a meal then back to the inn for another night's rest before returning home. Our visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe brought the three of us together in prayer for each other, our families and others. Each of us were moved by the experience in different ways but left with a shared sense of peace and tranquility. As I reflect on this journey I am reminded how each day of our ordinary life is in itself a pilgrimage as Burke said, which has it's share of hardships but is leading us to eternal life in Heaven.