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IN THIS ISSUE
From the Desk of
Fr. John Madigan, O.M.I.
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Annual Healing Novena
Oblate Martyrs:
Making the Ultimate Sacrifice
Thoughts from Fr. Greg Gallagher, O.M.I., Director of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois
Today the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows is one of the largest, most visited holy places in the country. But those who come to visit now may not be aware of the Shrine’s humble beginnings.
Father Paul Schulte, O.M.I., who earned a commercial pilot’s license and was known as the “Flying Priest of the Arctic,” originally brought the Our Lady of the Snows devotion to the United States. His passion for Our Lady developed during the years when he flew medical aid and other supplies to remote Oblate missions north of the Arctic Circle. It was there that he built a small chapel in her honor. When Fr. Schulte came to Belleville, Illinois, in 1941, he commissioned artist J. Watson Davis to create a painting of Our Lady of the Snows. The creation depicts Mary as an apparition at an Eskimo mission with the Northern Lights surrounding her body.
This masterpiece was placed in the chapel at St. Henry’s Seminary in Belleville. There, Seminarians prayed for their missionary congregation. They were soon joined by lay people who supported the missions as well, increasing the devotion to Our Lady of the Snows. Over the years, the crowds swelled and eventually became too large for the seminary campus.
In 1958 Fr. Edwin Guild, O.M.I., a co-worker and friend of Fr. Schulte, established the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows on 200 acres of land just a few miles southwest of the seminary. The Lourdes Grotto, a nearly exact replica of the famous grotto in Lourdes, France, was the first devotional site to be completed at the Shrine. In 1960, the Outdoor Amphitheatre was built with seating for thousands. Two small chapels were also built under the amphitheatre.
As time passed, more devotional areas were sprinkled throughout the property. Sites that we have come to love were created, such as the Way of the Cross, where visitors can retrace Christ's steps during the events leading up to His death. The Millennium Spire, an 85-foot tall spiraling structure, represents Pope John Paul II’s urge to prepare for the “new springtime of Christianity.” Several gardens – the Annunciation, Agony, Resurrection, and Children’s Gardens - allow pilgrims to bask in the Shrine’s beauty while also enjoying a moment of reflection, while the Father’s Memorial Wall and Mother’s Prayer Walk are touching areas where families can join together to celebrate life. The Church of Our Lady of the Snows was built in 1990 to meet the need for an indoor worship space.
As the number of visitors to the
Shrine continued to grow, their
needs were met with the additions
of a visitors’ center, restaurant, gift
shop, and a hotel.
Over the past 50 years, guided by the vision of Fr. Guild, and in cooperation with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Shrine has become a place of pilgrimage and prayer for people from all over the world. The Shrine invites pilgrims to explore their spirituality through its wide array of religious programs and devotional areas.
Father Guild used to say, “If you don’t meet three new people each day at the Shrine, close the doors.” Following in that spirit, the Shrine now welcomes more than one million visitors and pilgrims annually. Some come to take part in our spiritual programs, while others prefer to walk the beautifully groomed grounds. The Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation are celebrated daily. Many novenas are celebrated and candles lit as we pray for our benefactors and their needs. All who come experience both peace and Christian hospitality.
Fifty years after Fr. Guild envisioned a peaceful place to visit and pray, the dream is still very much alive and thriving. Like anything 50 years old, there have been updates, “face lifts,” and plans made for the future. The Oblates and lay staff at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows work hard to maintain and enhance the spiritual experience of each new generation of pilgrims.
For detailed information on the 2008 Annual Healing and Hope Novena, held July 28 - August 5, visit www.snows.org.
Fifty years ago the National Shrine of Our Lady
of the Snows opened its doors in Belleville, Illinois,
to people of all races and backgrounds. Fifty years
ago Thelma Mothershed Wair had a door slammed
in her face in Little Rock, Arkansas, because of the
color of her skin.
Separated by only a few hundred miles, but a world apart, the Shrine and Wair were grounded in the importance of racial equality. Their paths would intersect many times over the years after Thelma moved from Little Rock to East St. Louis, Illinois.
Many distinguished speakers have provided inspirational messages of healing and hope during the Shrine’s Annual Healing Novena. But it may have been Thelma, a woman who has never taken a public speaking course, who provided one of the most inspirational messages of all. Her story brought tears to the eyes of many in attendance on an evening of the novena dedicated to the healing of social injustices. Here is her story:
On the first day of the new school year of 1957, a mob of 1,000 people gathered outside Little Rock Central High School, determined to keep the black students away. People yelled insults and threats at the nine students, which included Thelma Mothershed Wair. The standoff drew international press coverage. Eventually, President Dwight Eisenhower ordered 1,000 soldiers armed with rifles and bayonets to Little Rock to allow the nine to enter the school.
Thelma had a guard assigned to her throughout the school day. None of the white students would talk to her.
“All I wanted to do was go to a better school. I didn’t know that we would have to go through hell to get there,” Thelma recalls.
Thelma would spend one year at Central before moving. She earned a teaching degree and spent nearly 30 years as a teacher and school counselor in East St. Louis, Illinois, one of the poorest cities in the United States.
Last year Thelma and the other eight students known as The Little Rock Nine gathered at Little Rock Central for the 50th Anniversary of their historic stand for justice. They were greeted with cheers and accolades.
This time, when Thelma walked through the front doors of Central she did not have to endure a flood of racial hatred. Instead, former President Bill Clinton held the door open for her.