The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, currently under construction, is the vision of His Excellency Raymond Burke, Bishop of LaCrosse. It is meant as a place for the faithful to come on pilgrimage and to foster devotion to the Blessed Virgin under her title of Patroness of the Americas. In the tradition of pilgrimage churches, the shrine is located high upon a hill outside of the city with a campanile and dome which will be visible from afar.
The interior of the Shrine is a cruciform domical church inspired by Italian examples such as the Gesu, San Andrea della Valle, and San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini in Rome. Generous side aisles with shrines flank the nave, and major shrines to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart are placed at the transept. Corinthian pilasters support a full entablature inscribed with names of the Virgin from the litany of Loreto. Images of the four evangelists reside within the pendentives which support the dome with its clear windows and oculus. The vaulted ceiling is punctuated by stained glass windows which follow the life of the Virgin. [Via AMDG]
This site shows the construction process and this looks like a shrine well worth visiting when it is completed.
The design is quite the opposite of the bleakness and sterility of a Fr. Vosko type church. Which reminds me of a joke I thought up.
Q. Where does Fr. Vosko stay while working as a consultant for a church.
A. The Wrectory.
9 comments
Very nice.
I was able to visit the shrine last summer, while with the Crusade for Life. It is well worth a trip. Not only is the shrine itself beautiful, but its setting is absolutely picturesque.
The webmaster seems to have beaten you at your own game, Jeff — note the page about the Meditation Trail, where it states that frequent visitors to the trail include “chipmonks!”
I believe Bishop Burke is now the Archbishop of St. Louis, correct?
I live in WI, so I will be visiting! Looks awesome. On a related note (sort of), I want to erect a shrine/grotto in my backyard, but through all of my searching (googling) I havent been able to find any info on how to achieve this.
LOL, though I would have added a “k” in “wrecktory”. Still funny just the same.
BMP
EnochRoot, are you planning on using a bathtub to make your grotto? I have seen a number of those on the web.
Otherwise, I suggest you contact a parish that has built a grotto. I highly recommend Immaculate Conception in Anchorville, MI. Their grotto is simply made from fieldstone and landscaped, and it is quite beautiful. I don’t know if they have photos of it on their website, but you could check here: http://www.iccatholic.org/12113.html
Bishop Burke is now Archbishop Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
Last time I looked, I belive I saw that St. Louis had almost as many seminarians as Priests. (Over 300!) If this is true, it really does not surprise me, Archbishop Burke knows how to do things right!
http://catholicinformation.wordpress.com/2006/07/22/bishops-arent-important/