In 1859, Belgian immigrant Adele Brise was visited by the Blessed Mother in Champion, Wisconsin. This Marian apparition, commonly known under the title of Our Lady of Good Help, was granted ecclesiastical approval by Bishop David Richen in 2010, making it the first approved Marian apparition in the United States. In Our Lady of Good Help: Prayer Book for Pilgrims, Fr. Edward Looney introduces readers to this apparition, its message for all of us, and the shrine located in Wisconsin.
Our Lady’s message for Adele was one of spreading the Good News. She wanted Adele to “gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation. . . their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments.” (14-15) Adele took the message to heart and began to offer to do housework for families in exchange for permission to teach their children. She also began a lay third order of sisters known as the Sisters of Good Health or the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi to help in her work.
In addition to describing Mary’s apparition in Wisconsin and offering eleven lessons we can take from this message from Our Lady of Good Help, Fr. Looney reviews several other Marian apparitions and explains how this message fits with the other messages Our Lady has offered to visionaries. The apparitions explored include those at Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, Beauraing, and Banneux.
The second half of the book provides a lovely collection of prayers and devotions. There are tools to help in preparing to receive the sacraments, including an extensive examination of conscience. In addition, there are meditations for praying the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross that incorporate the message of Our Lady of Good Help. Several novenas are also included, such as novenas to the Queen of Heaven and to Our Lady of Good Help. Novenas for healing and for the conversion of sinners are found in these pages as well. For those fortunate enough to make a pilgrimage to the apparition site in Wisconsin, there are prayers for different locations at the shrine.
Parents and those who provide catechesis in any way have a special role in teaching young people the faith. Our Lady of Good Help’s message is important for every one of us. Our Lady of Good Help: Prayer Book for Pilgrims is an essential guide to this Marian apparition as well as a great source of prayers to further your devotion to the Blessed Mother.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking a link help support this site. Thank you!
No comments:
Post a Comment