America's Mary: The Story of Our Lady of Good Help

by Marge Steinhage Fenelon

Our Lady's appearances to young Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, in 1858 are well known and well documented. Just one year later, a lesser-known but still important Marian apparition took place in an American frontier settlement. Based on historical documents, testimonies, personal interviews, and expert analysis, America's The Story of Our Lady of Good Help chronicles for the first time the United States' only Church-approved Marian apparition. In 1859 on the Door County Peninsula of northeast Wisconsin, Mary appeared three times to a young Belgian woman named Adele Brise. She identified herself as the Queen of Heaven and gave Adele instructions to teach the children their catechism, pray, do penance, sacrifice, and receive the sacraments frequently. Adele was initially met with skepticism, and during her lifetime she experienced many trials, including persecution. Still, she maintained that she was telling the truth and courageously carried on the mission the Blessed Mother had given to her. Although the local community accepted Adele's story as real, and popular piety built up around Mary's appearances and messages, it was more than 100 years before the Church conducted a thorough investigation. In 2010, the apparition was approved. Since then, thousands of pilgrims each year have visited the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, WI, seeking the Queen of Heaven's intercession for peace, healing, and help.

Genres: Catholic, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2022

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2010, the site near Champion, Wisconsin, was recognized as a Diocesan Shrine. Later, it was recognized as the only approved apparition in the United States.
The Peshtigo Fire of 1871 occurred on the same night as the Great Chicago Fire, even covering far more territory.
Farmers brought their families and livestock to the shrine grounds, not knowing where else to go. Adele Brise had seen the Virgin Mary there and was directed to teach the children. There wasn't much there, but there was a fence around the property. All night the people prayed and carried the Virgin's statue around the boundaries of the shrine. In the morning, they saw charred wood on the outside of the fence and everything and everyone inside where fine.
Pilgrims find peace there.

[Sherry Campeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

After visiting the shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, I wanted to know more of the story. This book did a great job at describing the social and religious landscape of the time, the difficulties of daily life, and the events surrounding the apparitions of Our Lady to Adele. I liked that the book didn't end with the death of Adele or the stopping of the apparitions, but led the reader through the approval of the apparitions and the establishment of the shrine.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers the life of Adele Brise, a Belgium immigrant to Wisconsin, who received visions of Mary, Queen of Heaven, in 1859. The book is comprehensive including the immigration of Belgium people to Wisconsin, the lifestyle they lived and the challenges of the time, challenges in the local church, the building of a chapel and a school, a major fire, and what has happened since Adele’s death.

[Stan Finger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice history of how the Our Lady of Good Help shrine came to be in rural Wisconsin. It's a powerful story of how Belgian immigrants endured tremendous hardships to carve out a new life in America and Adele Brise's devotion to the message Our Blessed Mother gave to her in what is the only Church-approved apparition in the United States.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, we visited the site of Our Lady of Champion’s apparition. We went into the downstairs chapel, right at the site. My husband and I both felt an overwhelming, beautiful sense of peace there. We bought this book in the bookshop, not knowing much about Adele Brise. After reading the book, I wan to return and further explore the grounds. This account is uplifting. It is a great read.

[Rachel Butargabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful account of the apparition and the healing work done up until today.