Champion, Wisconsin Deemed Site Of Virgin Mary Apparition By Catholic Church

CHAMPION, Wis. — The Vatican has named a tiny shrine in a small northeast Wisconsin town as a holy site.

The Catholic Church has recognized the chapel in Champion near Green Bay as the location of an official sighting of the Virgin Mary. WTMJ AM says it is the only site in the country with that distinction.

Green Bay Bishop David Ricken says the Virgin Mary appeared there three times to Belgium immigrant Adele Brise in 1859. Devotees have since visited the site to pray for miracles.

Ricken started investigating the events and three theological experts soon picked up the work. After two years of poring over letters and documents, experts decided her claims were true. The Vatican validated those results in December.

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The WTMJ report can be found at: http://bit.ly/hdjmpb

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Online:

http://bit.ly/hdjmpb

Comments

[JoeMar]

10:39 PM on 03/24/2011

I once had a hemorrhoid shaped like the 3 wise men.

[New Yorker]

11:58 AM on 02/25/2011

The Catholic Church is never quick to approve of an apparition. The cases where they have been have, like this one, taken a lot of investigation. The Holiness of the 'seer' of the apparition is the first step, as Nothing 'Of God' would appear to a sinner. Then the results of the apparition are examined over time, because as Jesus said, "Good Trees BearGood Fruit", so where is the Good Fruit in what has been claimed to happen ? When the medical evidence of miraculous cures, or some other great event like the "Miracles of The Sun" at Fatima, Portugal on October 13th, 1917 are supported by the evidence then the church can begin to approve of such an apparition.

It is gratifying that God allowed the Queen of Heaven to appear within this sinful and corrupt nation, it suggests we are not all tainted by the sins that surround us, and that make so many of our countrymen and women end up in hell.

[Guitarbuilder60]

07:39 AM on 03/04/2011

Probably, Gov. Walker. He seems to think he's other-worldly.

[New Yorker]

11:15 AM on 03/05/2011

Clearly The Wisconsin Govenrnor is in error, you should pray and ask God to open the man's eyes and see the harm he is doing.

[Boots16117]

09:08 AM on 03/24/2011

Nothing "of God" would appear to a sinner? Can I tell you about Jesus? He appeared to sinners exclusively.

[Roberta]

04:38 PM on 02/24/2011

Big year for Cheeseland - SuperBowl championship, union busting push-backs against Walker and now this. Sounds like the stars are aligning for you all. Carry on, please.

[helioszephyr]

03:59 PM on 02/23/2011

"After two years of poring over letters and documents, experts decided her claims were true."

would be interesting to know what forms of verification are used, and logic to determine, that letters written over the past 100 years were factual documents.

[New Yorker]

10:21 AM on 02/28/2011

If you take the time and expend the effort to read the account of the Fatima, apparitions, perhaps the best known, and most influencial of all of The Blessed Mothers' many attempts to save her children, you would grasp the methodology used. The message from Mary must be compatible with all we know, and it must have some purpose. God does not do these things without benefit, without some, to use Christ's own words, "Good Fruit" that comes as a consequence from Mary's apparition. Each year 4 million people pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal. That message given in 1917 where World War 2 was predicted if men did not turn away from their sins and pray, as was the attempt on the Pope's life, and other events, bore a great deal of Good Fruit. This apparition may have been less publicly known, and it even pre-dates Fatima, but the church will not acknowledge it without the Good Fruit it must always produce being evident. God is at work in these events, as one would just naturally expect from the living God. Take the time to examine these events, and you may even discover God for yourself. Millions have as a consequence of Fatima, and that continues even now, 93 years afterward. Good Trees, as Jesus bear good fruit, abundantly !

[helioszephyr]

07:04 PM on 03/01/2011

Methodology does not imply or constitute factual occurrences. Nor do you beliefs of such.

[helioszephyr]

09:28 PM on 03/04/2011

"Good Trees, as Jesus bear good fruit, abundantly !"

... and insecurity, as drugs, bear good delusions, abundantly.

[KennebunkportIndependent]

07:06 AM on 02/23/2011

On another note, the 'Reverend' Peter Ripoff offers 'Miracle Spring Water' that will produce a 'divine unleashing of wealth' on anyone who writes in for a 'free' vial.

What to believe, what to believe...........................    Does faith require the complete abandon of reason?  One would think so, at least as far as this apparent apparition and the vile vial are concerned.

At least Jesus showed Thomas His wounds.

[wolfsvssarah]

06:52 PM on 02/22/2011

I thought wow a new siting....then I read it was in 1859....talk about taking a long time to get something verified. Good thing the Vatican doesn't take this long to approve priests and nuns. LOL

[rbenjamin]

05:35 PM on 02/22/2011

Now every small town is going to want one.

[dubbleplusgood]

03:37 PM on 02/22/2011

a virgin in america?

[Larkinvos]

02:57 AM on 02/22/2011

Hey! The Vatican says it. It MUST be true.

[Gregor53]

06:46 PM on 02/21/2011

Considering what is currently happening in WI, the Virgin Mary was probably sighted getting the heck out of the state like the other smart people.  I apologize to anyone this may offend, but I could not help linking news and religion today. 

[arabia]

08:56 PM on 02/21/2011

"...getting the heck out of the state like the other smart people."

I'm sure she'd side with the protesters, as if holding back (for a while) the most important point -- the magnitude of hurt covering the whole state.

[Gregor53]

04:57 PM on 02/22/2011

I was not suggesting one side or the other, but you are more than likely correct in your assumption.  We will leave it at that.

[genrel1248]

06:10 PM on 02/21/2011

If the priests find her she wont be a virgin very long.

[ThinkCreeps]

06:13 PM on 02/21/2011

She might just be OK at her age. But, does she have younger brothers and sisters?

[Jesterband]

12:48 AM on 02/21/2011

According to quantum theory all things, no matter how improbable, can and will happen. If not in this universe then in another. No divine intervention needed. Too bad the majority of "miracle" cures are credited to snake oil salesmen and suspect ministries.

That being said, if you draw comfort from believing, I wish you well.

[jo smith456]

06:28 AM on 02/21/2011

but then again, it's just a theory...

[Gregor53]

06:49 PM on 02/21/2011

undefined

[Jesterband]

10:34 PM on 02/21/2011

Scientific theory, by definition, remains valid as long as it verified by testing it and obtaining predicted results. Saying it is just a theory shows your lack of understanding in the process.

[thunk]

10:20 AM on 02/21/2011

quantum theory is a counter-intuitive mathematical construct that predicts events at very small scales. It works. But I'm not sure that it scientifically provides anything conclusive about the nature of reality at all scales, or that any physicist would say such statements are anything but idle speculation. In fact one mathematical consequence of the theory is that Heisenberg uncertainty only applies at small scales.

[Jesterband]

10:00 PM on 02/21/2011

My post was writen to express an alternate explaination, other than divine intervention, for the reported miraculous cures. Current multi verse theories contain within them the possibility of different Solar System formation scenarios so the matter of scale is moot.

IMO the idea of an unknown benevolent spirit as the cause is less likely than a statistical improbability within the bounds of possible things.

[Bob Wood]

07:52 PM on 02/20/2011

How could they tell ? One virgin looks so much like another virgin...(sigh)

[KennebunkportIndependent]

07:07 AM on 02/23/2011

They wear wimples.

[Bob Wood]

09:58 AM on 02/23/2011

I used to date a girl...long, long ago...had the cutest wimples on both cheeks you ever saw. Ah... the memories...(sigh)

[MsMcgee]

06:40 PM on 02/20/2011

152 years ago, a Belgium immigrant walks into a church…

She claimed she’d seen an apparition 3 times and identified it as the Virgin Mary.

No other witnesses, not further sightings.

152 years later the Catholic Church, who desperately needs a miracle to detract from bad press, mull this event over for a couple of years and then declares: OMG It’s TRUE! It really happened.

Right.

In 2004 a woman sold a 10 year old grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary on it for $28000.


Things that just make you go… Umm Umm Umm

[syntax facit saltum]

11:13 PM on 02/20/2011

I am not Catholic, but I am certain the Catholic church would *never* affirm that the Mother of God appeared in the form of a grilled cheese sandwich. As a person of faith, I look for God in the face of my neighbor and of my enemy not on a sandwich.

[tim skau]

11:39 AM on 02/21/2011

I think that all depends on the quality of the sandwich

[phrenicmonkey]

04:19 PM on 02/20/2011

That'll bring in the tourist dollars.

[KennebunkportIndependent]

07:09 AM on 02/23/2011

Where are the indulgences??