Our Lady of Good Help

Bishop Ricken proclaims the Church's approval of the apparitions of Our Lady of Good Help at the actual site of the apparitions.

Great news yesterday.  The Bishop of Green Bay (Wisconsin), Bishop David Ricken, has formally recognised as authentic and worthy of belief the apparitions of Our Lady to a young Belgian émigré in 1859. 

Beginning on October 9th of that year Our Lady appeared to Adele Brise on three occasions.  Here is an account of the apparitions:

“ She [Adele] was going to the grist mill about four miles from here [Champion] with a sack of wheat on her head […]. As Adele came near the place, she saw a lady all in white standing between two trees, one a maple, the other a hemlock. Adele was frightened and stood still. The vision slowly disappeared, leaving a white cloud after it. Adele continued on her errand and returned home without seeing anything more. She told her parents what had happened, and they wondered what it could be — maybe a poor soul who needed prayers?

“On the following Sunday, she had to pass here again on her way to Mass at Bay Settlement, about eleven miles from her home [...]. This time, she was not alone, but was accompanied by her sister Isabel and a neighbor woman [Mrs. Vander Niessen]. When they came near the trees, the same lady in white was at the place where Adele had seen her before. Adele was again frightened and said, almost in a tone of reproach, 'Oh, there is that lady again.'

“Adele had not the courage to go on. The other two did not see anything, but they could tell by Adele’s look that she was afraid. They thought, too, that it might be a poor soul that needed prayers. They waited a few minutes, and Adele told them it was gone. It had disappeared as the first time, and all she could see was a little mist or white cloud. After Mass, Adele went to confession and told her confessor how she had been frightened at the sight of a lady in white. He [Father William Verhoef] bade her not to fear, and to speak to him of this outside of the confessional. Father Verhoef told her that if it were a heavenly messenger, she would see it again, and it would not harm her, but to ask in God’s name who it was and what it desired of her. After that, Adele had more courage. She started home with her two companions, and a man who was clearing land for the Holy Cross Fathers at Bay Settlement accompanied them.

"As they approached the hallowed spot, Adele could see the beautiful lady, clothed in dazzling white, with a yellow sash around her waist. Her dress fell to her feet in graceful folds. She had a crown of stars around her head, and her long, golden, wavy hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Such a heavenly light shone around her that Adele could hardly look back at her sweet face. Overcome by this heavenly light and the beauty of her amiable visitor, Adele fell on her knees.

" 'In God’s name, who are you and what do you want of me?’ asked Adele, as she had been directed.

“ ‘I am the Queen of Heaven, who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same. You received Holy Communion this morning, and that is well. But you must do more. Make a general confession, and offer Communion for the conversion of sinners. If they do not convert and do penance, my Son will be obliged to punish them’

“ 'Adele, who is it?'' said one of the women. 'O why can't we see her as you do?' said another weeping.

“ ‘Kneel,’ said Adele, ‘the Lady says she is the Queen of Heaven.’ Our Blessed Lady turned, looked kindly at them, and said, ‘Blessed are they that believe without seeing. What are you doing here in idleness…while your companions are working in the vineyard of my Son?’

“ ‘What more can I do, dear Lady?’ said Adele, weeping.

“ ‘Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation’

“ ‘But how shall I teach them who know so little myself?’ replied Adele.

“ ‘Teach them,’ replied her radiant visitor, ‘their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments; that is what I wish you to do. Go and fear nothing. I will help you.’ "

The manifestation of Our Lady then lifted her hands, as though beseeching a blessing for those at her feet, and slowly vanished, leaving Adele overwhelmed and prostrate on the ground.

The Bishop has also erected the site of the apparition as a diocesan shrine and has encouraged the faithful to go in pilgrimage and prayer to the church there. 

Sr Adele Brise

Adele lived a holy life, founded a congregation of Franciscan sisters and was faithful to the mission Our Lady gave her for the rest of her life.  While the Bishop has confirmed that there have been favours granted through her intercession, there are no plans to open a Cause for her canonisation.  Hopefully that will change.

The message is most interesting.  Our Lady asks Adele to "Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation" - that is a mission for all ages and all countries.  Certainly it is most appropriate to the countries of the West and for the Church there - we must begin a real evangelisation in these times, to teach the children of these wild countries what they need to know for salvation.  Too many think salvation is automatic and easy - do nothing and because God loves you he will take you straight to heaven. 

So how should we teach the people of this age?  Again, Our Lady tells us: "Teach them their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments; that is what I wish you to do."  Well, that's clear.  With the new catechism we have a marvellous document to help us in the new evangelisation.  Therein are the truths of the faith.  In the sign of the cross we see popular piety, but also the symbol of our redemption. In making the sign of the cross we make public profession of our faith and enter into the mystery of the cross - the mystery of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and the mystery of the cross in our own lives.  How to approach the sacraments...now there's a controversial one.  Today many come to the sacraments with little thought.  Our Lady tells us here that there is an urgent need for proper preparation, and to be properly disposed and, as the Church teaches (and many ignore today), to the Eucharist, to be in a state of grace.  This was Adele's mission, it is the Church's mission - and our mission.

But things are difficult, we will hear.  Or, as a parishioner once said to me "You can't say things like that anymore, you will hurt people.  You have to let people be where they are and respect them"...i.e. - don't teach the Gospel, just tell us what we want to hear.  Too many have taken that message to heart because they are afraid to preach the truth - they will not be popular, you see, and if you want to get along with people, and in a way help them be good Christians, you have to be popular (that's called the new methodology for Pastoral theology).  Well, lest we be afraid, Our Lady says to Adele, and to all of us: "Go and fear nothing. I will help you."  

It is timely that the Bishop should approve the apparitions at this time.