Official announcement of the diocesan inquiry
Bishop David L. Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, formally announced the start of a diocesan inquiry into the life and virtues of the Servant of God Adele Brice. The edict was proclaimed on December 28, 2025, during a Mass at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, inviting the faithful to submit written testimonies, documents, or accounts of intercessions attributed to Brice that may support her cause for beatification and canonization.
The Marian apparitions in Champion
Adele Brice, born in Belgium in 1831 and an immigrant to Wisconsin in 1855, claimed to have received three apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1859, in what is now Champion, Wisconsin. In the third apparition, after asking, "In the name of God, who are you and what do you want from me?", the Lady identified herself as the "Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners." She instructed Brice to do penance and receive communion for conversions, and gave her the mission of teaching catechism to children, despite the young woman's limited education.
A life dedicated to the mission and legacy of the shrine
Faithful to her mandate, Adele Brice dedicated her life to catechesis, gathering other women, founding a school and a convent, and facing great material difficulties. Her father built a chapel on the site of the apparitions, which would become the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, dedicated to Our Lady of Good Help. The shrine was the scene of an event considered miraculous: during the devastating Peshtigo Fire of 1871, while Brice and others took refuge in prayer, the grounds of the shrine remained intact while everything around them was consumed by flames.
The path to ecclesiastical recognition
The apparitions received formal approval from the Vatican in 2022, recognizing the site as an approved Marian apparition site. Brice's cause for canonization gained momentum in June 2024, when the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted unanimously to move forward with the process at the diocesan level. Bishop Ricken, promoter of the shrine that attracts more than 200,000 pilgrims annually, has highlighted the relevance of Brice's message as a model of evangelizing catechist in a time of distancing from the faith.
Canonical process and possible miracles
This diocesan investigation constitutes the first phase of the canonization process. If her heroic virtues are confirmed, Brice could be declared "Venerable." For beatification and canonization, miracles attributed to her intercession are also required. According to Bishop Ricken's statement in 2024, two possible cases are being investigated: the cure of a deep depression and the remission of metastatic colorectal cancer, both attributed by those affected to the intercession of Adele Brice.
Original source: www.aciprensa.com (published on January 6, 2026)
Photo: Rafael Leão on Unsplash
