Our Lady of Good Help

Our Lady of Good Help refers to the Marian apparition that occurred in Champion, Wisconsin, in 1859, making it the only Marian apparition approved by the Catholic Church in the United States. The Virgin Mary appeared to a Belgian immigrant woman, Adele Brise, identifying herself as the “Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners.” Mary wore a white robe with a yellow sash and a crown of stars, and she appeared standing between two trees. Her message emphasized repentance, prayer, and trust in God.

Mary gave Adele a clear mission: to teach the children what they needed to know for salvation. She urged frequent reception of the sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist, and encouraged prayer for sinners. Adele devoted her life to this calling, traveling on foot to teach catechism to children in frontier settlements. The apparition stressed that faith must be lived and passed on, especially within families and local communities.

Devotion to Our Lady of Good Help deepened after the Peshtigo Fire of 1871, the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history. As the flames approached, people took refuge at the apparition site, praying the Rosary and processing with Mary’s image. The fire miraculously spared the grounds, strengthening belief in Mary’s intercession. Today, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help stands as a place of prayer and hope, reminding the faithful that Mary continually leads souls to her Son, Jesus Christ.