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Our Lady of Good Help Chapel
Chapel Photos on bottom of page.
This is an informational story concerning Sister Adèle Brice
and the Chapel of "Our Lady of Good
Help;" in Robinsonville, Brown County, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Marie Adèle Joseph Brice was born in Dion-le-Val, province of Brabant, Belgium, on 30 January 1831, and received her early education at Mieux. She was the daughter of Lambert and Marie Katherine (Pierard) Brice. Throughout her childhood she was known for her piety and kind heart, and had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She desired to dedicate herself to the services of God. She had planned to enter a convent in Belgium, when her parents decided to leave for America. Because of the insistence of her parents and advice from her pastor she went with her family.
Lambert and Katherine Brice, with their three daughters and one son, Adèle, Espérance, Isabella,
and Vital; left Belgium on June 9, 1855, aboard the ship “Schmidt”. After an uneventful voyage of seven weeks
they landed at New York on July 7,1855, and immediately went west to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
On 7 August 1855, Lambert and Katherine Brice purchased two hundred and twenty acres of land in the
Town of Red River, Wisconsin, U.S.A.; for the sum of one hundred and twenty dollars.
Pioneering always means suffering, loneliness, and poverty. It requires daring and initiative. The
suffering of the Belgian Immigrants was unbelievable. Not being used to providing for harsh northern winters,
their homes were completely unfit. Made roughly of Logs and brush, the cracks in the walls and roofs freely
admitted the harsh winter winds; and there floors were nothing more than the ground itself. Besides the
starvation; they faced the danger of freezing.
Life for the women was not one of luxury and ease. Along with their daily chores of cooking, cleaning,
making the families clothing, and taking care of the children; they had to work in the fields, preparing the soil for
planting with the most primitive hand tools, carrying grain on their heads to the mill a distance of many miles,
and preparing shingles for the market.
Even so the pioneers had great optimism, and self reliance. They looked upon the hardships as a
challenge. In 1854 every little log house was crowded with new arrivals. However with the arrivals came the
deadly disease of Asiatic Cholera. Many of the new emigrants died and among them the hospitable hosts. It was
a horrendous disease. Strong men apparently well at night, would be found dead in the morning, their faces
turned black and their eyes sunk into their sockets. Most of the victims were buried back in the woods, usually
without coffins and without the rites of a church burial. Several years went by before they changed their
methods of burial. Until they were provided with cemeteries of their own, men had to carry the dead in hand-
made coffins, many miles to Bay Settlement for a Christian burial.
Because of these harsh conditions many settlers had become careless in the practice of the faith and
became Perverted in morals. The settlers were so engrossed in clearing the land and making a
meager 
living
that the younger generation received little or no religious instruction. This lack of religious training gradually
began to show in the perverted morals of the young. Because of their grave need for religious guidance this may be
the reason for divine favor. The
following is Adèle's own narrative in the words of Sister Pauline La Plant to
whom she had often told her story, and who in turn has recorded it for
prosperity. (The original manuscript of
this account of Sister Adèle written by Sister Pauline is preserved in the
archives of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Bay Settlement.)
It was in the
early part of October that Adèle saw our Blessed Mother for the first
time. Reverend
William De Kelver
told me that it was in 1858. Adèle was
going to a small grist mill about four miles from here
with a sack of wheat
on her head. She was following an
Indian trail that passed here where the Chapel now
stands. The trail led towards Dykesville and
branched off to Bay Settlement. At that
time this was all a
wilderness. As she came near the place where the Chapel
now stands, she saw a lady all in white standing
between two trees,
one a maple and the other a hemlock.
Adèle was frightened and stood still.
The vision slowly
disappeared
leaving a little white cloud after it.
Adèle 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 which
was
the nearest place
she had to attend Mass, and that was about eleven miles from her home. Despite the great
distance or the
inclemency of the weather, Adèle would never miss Mass on Sunday. This time she was not
alone, but was
accompanied by her sister, Isabella, and a Mrs. Theresa Vander Niessen. When they came near
the trees the same
lady in white was at the place where Adèle had seen her before. Adèle was again frightened,
and said as a
reproach, "Oh, that Lady is there again!" Adèle had not the courage to go on. The other two did
not see anything,
but they could tell by Adèle's looks that she was afraid. They thought it must be a Pour Soul
that needed
prayers. They waited a few minutes and
Adèle told them that it was gone. It
had disappeared as
the first time,
and all she could see was a little mist or white cloud. They went to Mass and Adèle went to
confession, and
told the priest how she had been frightened at the sight of the lady in
white. He bade her not to
fear, and asked
her to speak of it out of the confessional, and so she did. Reverend William Verhoeff told her
not to be
troubled, that it would not harm her, and that if it were something from God
she would see it again,
and not to be
afraid, but to ask in God's name who it was and what it desired of her? After that Adèle had more
courage. She started homeward with her two companions
and a man who was clearing land for the Holy Cross
Fathers at Bay
Settlement.
When they came
near this place, Adèle's heart beat fast for this time through the trees she
could clearly
see a beautiful
lady all 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 wavy golden hair fell
loosely over her
shoulders; such a
heavenly light shone round her that Adèle could hardly look at her sweet face.
This time Adèle
was not frightened, but was filled with joy and peace. As soon as she came near
enough, she knelt
and spoke as the Father had advised her to do.
"In God's
name, who are you and what do you desire of me?"
Our Blessed Mother
answered, "I am the Queen of the Heavens, who prays for th
e
conversion of
sinners, and I
wish you to do the same." She continued
in her soft, sweet voice, "You were at Holy Communion
this
morning?"
"Yes, dear
Lady," answered Adèle.
"You have
done well, but I wish you to do more.
Pray for nine days. Go and make a general confession,
and offer your
Holy Communion for the conversion of sinners.
If they do not convert themselves, and do
penance, my Son
will be obliged to punish them."
In the meantime
her companions were anxious to know to whom she was speaking.
"Who is it,
Adèle?" they inquired. "Is it a Poor Soul from Belgium, or who is
it?"
Adèle told them to
kneel because the Lady said she was the Queen of the Heavens. one of the women
commenced to cry
and lament saying, "Oh, why are we so unhappy not to see her as you
do?"
Adèle saw our
Blessed Mother turn and look kindly at the women and say, "Blessed are
they that believe
and do not
see."
Then turning to
Adèle she said, "What are you doing here in idleness, while your
companions are
working in the
vineyard of my Son?"
Adèle answered
weeping, "What more can I do, dear Lady?"
"Teach the
children," replied the Lady.
"How shall I
teach them who know so little myself," said Adèle.
"I do not
mean the science of the world; teach them their catechism, that they may know
and love my
Son; otherwise the
people here will lose their faith," answered the Lady.
"With God's
grace, and the help of your intercession I promise, dear Lady, to be faithful
to what you bid
me," answered
Adèle.
"Go and fear
nothing. I will help you," replied the Lady.
Then our dear
Mother raised her eyes and hands heavenward, and slowly rose upward, surrounded
by a
light smokelike
incense. The last Adèle saw of her was
as if she were asking a blessing
on
those that were kneeling at her feet. Adèle saw nothing more, but fell on her
face in a faint. Her companions
tried to soothe
and revive her. The man went to a
little creek nearby to wet a cloth and fetch her some water.
As soon as she
came to herself, they walked on toward home and because Adèle was still weak
they rested at the
first house to
which they came. The people were all
astonished at the news. Most of them
believed it, but some
thought she was
out of her mind. It was not long,
however, before Adèle, faithful to her promise, commenced to
gather the
children about her and to instruct them in their religion.
Shortly afterwards
her father, Lambert Brice, built a little log chapel ten by twelve feet near
the place
of the
apparition. As a young girl I knelt in
the dear little chapel, and sang with Adèle her favorite hymn in
French;
"Chantons le nom admirable de la Reine des Cieux," or "Let Us
Sing the Praises of the Admirable
Name of the Queen
of Heaven."
Sister Adèle used
to go from here to Little Sturgeon and gather the children together and
instruct them
in all that was
necessary for their First Holy Communion.
Then she would bring them to Bay Settlement to
Father Daems who
would admit them to their first Holy Communion. I remember as a child, she would come
with her little
band of children to Bay Settlement, and kneel at the foot of our Lady's altar,
and sing with them
sweet hymns to our
Blessed Mother in French. Adèle had a
sweet voice and possessed a charm that drew the
young to her. I would kneel behind her and listen with a
burning desire to follow her, but had not the courage
to leave my dear
Mother that I loved next to God for she was my all as my dear Father died when
I was a child
of three. After my dear Mother died, May 11, 1863, I
visited Adèle oftener, but it is always a pleasure to look
back to my first
visit to the dear little chapel, when there was only a small log chapel ten by
twelve, and only a
small picture of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary pinned on the wall. This picture was given to Adèle by her
confessor,
Reverend William Verhoeff, who had great regard for her.
For seven years
Adèle continued to gather the children around her for religious instructions,
but in
1864 Reverend
Philip Crud advised her to ask the people to help her build a home, so that
they could come to
her instead of her
going to seek them. He also advised her
to induce other girls to join her as he thought it was
our Blessed
Mother's desire that she should start a community of Sisters that would
continue her work after her
death. So she did.
Some girls came to her aid, and they did accomplish a great deal for
thousands of children
have been
instructed by Sister Adèle and her helpers.
I think she commenced in a farm house with a few
companions.
One thing more
must be said about good Sister Adèle.
She often told us how grieved she was to leave
Belgium because
she intended to join some Sisters to whom she had gone to school when she made
her First
Holy
Communion. She and five or six of her
age had promised our Blessed Mother at their First Holy
Communion that
they would become religious and go to distant countries to instruct poor
children. The other
girls followed
their vocations.
In the fifties,
Adèle's parents took the notion to come to America, but would not hear of her
staying back.
She prayed and
begged them to let her remain to become a Sister, but her Mother said it would
cause her death if
she did not come
with them. So Adèle went to the priest
and asked what to do. He told her to
mind her parents
and that later on,
if God so willed, she could become a Sister in America, and he promised to pray
for her. So
poor Adèle had to
come to America to help and cheer her parents, who though poor were good God -
fearing
people. That was why Adèle felt so sorry when our
Blessed Mother said to her, "What are you doing here in
idleness when your
companions are working in the vineyard of my Son?"
So many times we
would gather around Sister Adèle and have her tell us of the apparition of our
Blessed
Mother. She would always tell in the self-same way
how she saw her twice without our Blessed Mother saying a
word, but that the
third time she spoke to her, and gave her the message of instructing the
children in their
religion lest they
should lose their faith.
I shall never
forget my last meeting with Sister Adèle.
We went into the chapel and prayed. I can still see
the calm, serene,
and happy look on the face of the good Sister as if a light from Heaven shone
upon her.
Dear Sister had a
great deal to suffer from some misunderstandings, especially from some of the
clergy;
but all this was
to make her feel that this is not our true home, and she took it in good
faith. I never heard her say
an unkind word
against them. She was always charitable
and obedient. Her work prospered and
she did a great
deal of good. So she continued her loved mission until on
July ,5, 1896, aged 66, her beautiful soul returned to
its Maker.
Dear Sister Adèle,
from your happy home above remember us. SISTER PAULINE.
In 1861, because of the increasing number of pilgrims to the shrine; it became necessary to build a new
larger chapel. Sister Adèle went seeking help from the settlers. Mrs. Isabella Boyen gave five acres of land
which included the holy
site. Her father Lambert Brice erected
a framed chapel twenty-four by forty feet.
The place took on the name "La Chapelle."
The first procession on the Chapel grounds happened when Adèle obtained a hand - carved statue of the
Blessed Virgin, from Belgium. When the statue arrived in Dyckesville on the "Denessen Steamer," it was carried in triumphal procession to the Chapel amid prayers and hymns. This was the wish of Adèle; because of the fact that it was a Belgian custom. The procession is terminated by circling the Chapel grounds and then placing the statue in the Chapel.
This statue later burned; as a result of lighted candles, and a new one was purchased by the settlers.
After seven more years of Adèle traveling from place to place to teach and help the children; Adèle
appealed to the people for help in building a convent and school. They responded and the buildings were built
near the Chapel. When the school was completed it served as a boarding and day school for both boys and girls.
During this time devout young women came in answer to Adèle's appeal for helpers. They adopted the
religious garb, and followed the rule of the Third Order of Saint Francis, but did not take the vow. For many
years the Chapel flourished.
On 8 October 1871; great tragedy befell the Peninsula of Wisconsin; and in doing so seeded what many
believe is the greatest miraculous event to happen at the Chapel. Twelve years; almost to the day when the
"Queen of Heaven" said? "If they do not amend their lives and convert themselves, my Son will be obliged to
punish them;" the tragic event known as the Peshtigo fire arrived. All throughout the year a great drought
happened upon the land. Rivers, streams, ravines, and many wells, dried up. Many forest fires had been burning
for weeks and months. Then on that fateful Sunday night came a terrible, ten-fold wind came from the southeast
and fanned the smoldering fires into a mighty wave of fire, sending the whole peninsula into a raging sea of fire
and smoke. It was said that the black sky itself burst into great clouds of fire. The fire sent all living creatures
wild beasts as well as men fleeing in terror. At first the roaring blaze thundered among the tree-tops, but as it
gained ground, it sounded like the distant roar of the sea with it's thunderous fury, mingled with a tornado of fire.
A survivor's written account states that if you could imagine the worst snow storm you ever witnessed,
and each flake was a coal or spark of fire driven before a terrifying wind, you would have an idea of the
conditions at the time the fire struck.
Hundreds of families were driven from their homes. After seeing their buildings swallowed by the fiery
monster, they began running wildly for means of escape. Many being overtaken by the rain of fire. The fire
raged on both sides of the bay of Green Bay. From as far south as Manitowoc to the northern tip of the
peninsula, stopping at "Deaths Door". It engulfed the Counties of Outagamie, Kewaunee, Door and Brown.
The Townships of Humboldt, Green Bay, New Franken, Casco, Brussels, Rosiere, Lincoln and Robinsonville,
along with many others. Nothing could be done to stop its rampage. The Chapel in Robinsonville was laying in
its path.
Adèle and her companions were determined
not to abandon Mary's shrine; and their faith in Mary never faltered. The Children, Sisters, farmers and their
families drove their livestock in the direction of Mary's sanctuary. They were now encircled by a raging inferno
with no means of escape. At this point
the entire area was one vast sea of fire.
The Chapel and it's grounds were filled with terrified people crying for
the Mother of God to save them. Filled
with confidence, they raised the statue of Mary, and KNEELING bore it in
procession around their beloved sanctuary, saying the rosary. After long hours of fear and horror passed
the heavens sent a downpour of rain, and extinguished the fire. When dawn came the ravages of the fire were
revealed. Everything about them was
destroyed; miles and miles of desolation everywhere. But the Convent, School Chapel, and the five acres of land
consecrated to the Virgin Mary was untouched.
Many Churches in the communities were destroyed; but the Chapel still
stood. The fire left charred scars on
the Chapel fence, but did not enter the Chapel grounds. The only livestock saved were those within
the Chapel grounds. Even though the
Chapel's was only a few feet deep, it gave enough water to supply all the cattle,
while many deeper wells in the area were dry.
That is why the Chapel well is sometimes called the "Miraculous
Well". The pioneers never needed
further proof of Mary's visitation to Adèle.
Around the time of the Peshitgo Fire; persecutions had begun against Sister Adèle. Because The church
has never officially recognized the story of Adèle or the alleged miracles; and because of stories of abuses during
the processions of the Chapel grounds; the Most Reverend Bishop Joseph Melcher; who had not as yet met
Sister Adèle, laid an interdict on the Chapel. Adèle is refused the Sacraments and threatened with
excommunication if she persists in telling her story of the Apparitions. At this point in time Adèle and the
Children attended Mass at Saint Joseph's Church in Champion (one mile west of the Chapel) every Sunday. On
one occasion when she arrived at the church the pews were closed to her. Despite this she and the children hear
mass kneeling in the aisle. When the time came for Holy Communion, Sister Adèle, along with the children
resolutely approaches the Holy Table. If she is to be refused the Lord, than she would be refused there. When
the priest turned and saw Sister Adèle and the Children he came down and gave Communion to her and the rest.
Adèle was then filled with new courage.
After a time the Bishop decided to go examine the condition at the Chapel. He hired two physicians to
accompany him to Robinsonville to investigate, and to test the sanity of Sister Adèle. When rumors started that
the Bishop was coming to close the Chapel, the Belgian pioneers sent notice to him of their opposition. The
Bishop canceled the trip. However he sent Sister Adèle a notice to dismiss the children, lock the school and
Chapel, and bring him the keys.
Sister Adèle did what she was told. However before leaving she purchased an acre of land near the
Chapel on which to build a home and still go out teaching Gods children. When she brought the keys to the
Bishop, who was meeting her for the first time; She informs the Bishop that he will be responsible for every soul
lost due to the lack of religious instruction, and that she will still continue to instruct the children as she was
commanded to do by Mary. The Bishop was so impressed by Sister Adèle and her words that he returned the
keys and told her to continue her classes.
As growth continued there was soon need for a larger school and Chapel. In 1885 the new convent and
school was built. It was a large building with a large basement with kitchen, pantry and dining room for both the
Sisters and the Children. The first floor had a classroom, a playroom, a sitting room and a dormitory for the
Sisters, with a parlor. On the second floor was the children's dormitory. they could now accommodate one
hundred twelve children each year. Some of the children came from as far as the states of Michigan and
Minnesota. There were eleven Sister working at the Chapel by this time. A small one room building served for a
time as a hospital, but was later converted into a school. Also built at this time was a new brick Chapel.
In 1896 after thirty years of service to the Virgin Mary; many of which contained suffering, hardships and
persecutions; Sister Adèle could no longer carry on her duties. Worn out by labors and long begging tours she
was loosing strength quickly. On 5 July 1896; Sister moved on to her eternal reward. Sister Adèle was laid to
rest in a little graveyard beside the
Chapel. The tombstone reads:
Sacred Cross,
under thy shadow
I rest and hope.
Sister Marie Adèle
Joseph Brice
Died July the 5th,
1896
at the age of 66
years.
After Sister's death the conditions at the Chapel began to decline because of the lack of leadership. On 24 October 1902, Bishop Messmer and Father Fox asked the superior at St. Francis Convent, in Bay Settlement,
to see what could be done for the community. They appointed Sister Pauline to take over. When Sister Pauline
arrived she found two sister, twenty children and forty two cents, and the cupboard bare. The Bishop then sent
the Bay Settlement Sisters to the Chapel to continue the work of instruction especially for the children of the
poor.
Sister Pauline needed to work hard; not only to provide food and clothing for those at the Chapel, but
also to pay back past debts. She was able to pay back a debt of over one thousand dollars after a years time.
Much of the money to support the Chapel came from donations received through begging tours of the
Community.
Sister Pauline helped lead the community of the Sisters of St. Francis at Bay Settlement for eighteen
years. A few weeks after her eightieth birthday; Sister died from a paralytic stroke. She is buried in the Convent
Cemetery, at Bay Settlement, Brown County Wisconsin.
In 1928 a new diocesan institution was opened in Oneida, Wisconsin. The Chapel school though in good
condition was no longer up to date as a boarding school; so Bishop Rode decided to close the Chapel school.
The Bishop requested that some of the Sisters stay at the Chapel. In 1933 the Bishop announced that work
would begin on remodeling the place as a Home for Crippled Children. It was remolded to meet with State
requirements; and the State Board of Control of Wisconsin licensed the Home to act as a Child Welfare Agency.
The number of children cared for was not to exceed twenty. The school which cared for each individual
according to their needs, was in operation for twenty years. The Sisters made the institution a home for the
children, and the children loved it there.
It came again time to expand the institution. On 12 July 1942; Bishop Rhode dedicated the new structure
under the title of "Our Lady of Good Help. The new building could accommodate a seating capacity of three
hundred. In the basement, the crypt contains the altar on which is placed a lovely statue of our the Virgin Mary
donated and sent from France in August of 1907, by Sister Claude Agnes Allard (Zoe Allard), from
Bay Settlement whom moved to France with the Rev. Phillip Crud in 1882.
Zoe Allard was not a full
Sister until she was 67 years old and after serving 50 years of missionary with the Rev. Phillip Crud.
The altar of our Lady stands over the place of the alleged apparitions.
Hundreds of vigil candles burn day and night in thanksgiving and
petition by the faithful of Mary. This fourth Chapel stands as a monument to Adèle who was instrumental in
preserving the faith of her people in this community.
In the eyes of the Church , only perfect and complete cures deserve to be called miracles. To date, no
attempt has been made to record and authenticate the cures reported at the Shrine. Many have left crutches there
as evidence of the grace they received.
The following are
among the many of the remarkable cures received through the intercession of Our
Lady; taken from
the Pamphlet * "THE CHAPEL, OUR LADY OF GOOD
HELP" By the Sisters of Saint
Francis of Bay
Settlement, November 1950. And the
Pamphlet * "THE CHAPEL, OUR LADY OF GOOD
HELP" by
Sister M. Dominica, O.S.F.; The Sisters of Saint Francis of Bay Settlement,
1955.
Michael, the nine
year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Mose Lafond,
fell from the barn
leaving him a hopeless cripple. Four
years
later nine women
made a novena to The Chapel with the boy.
After the third
visit he was cured and left his crutches there.
As a man, he held
a responsible position in a mill.
A little girl of
three had a running sore, and had been receiving
medical care for a
long time. After making a novena
at The Chapel the
wound closed.
A five year old
boy could not walk. His mother promised
to
visit The Chapel
which was sixteen miles from her home.
She
made the
pilgrimage on foot; and feeling confident that her
prayers would be
heard, on her return took the boy by the hand
and told him to
walk. The boy who had never walked
before,
could walk from
that moment.
A child who was
almost blind was brought to The Chapel
from Bay
Settlement. The little girl had been
suffering from
measles which had
affected her eyes in such a way that there
were spots and
scales on the pupils. After the mother
had prayed
to the Blessed
Virgin, almost instantly the child's eyes were cured.
A young man
seventeen years of age contracted a severe case
of double
pneumonia which was followed by pleurisy after which
he was pronounced
tubercular by three doctors and was advised
to go West. After making a novena at The Chapel his
lungs
cleared. He passed all army tests, served nineteen
months in the
first World War
and is in perfect health ever since. He
feels confident
that Our Lady's
intercession cured him.
Before childbirth
a young woman contracted a very serious
kidney infection
which kept her in bed for five weeks.
She was
running a
temperature and was in great pain. The
doctor said
her kidneys would
not clear up until after childbirth.
Nine persons
made a novena for
her at The Chapel. To the astonishment
of the doctor, she
was up and about in a few days and was in
perfect health for
the two months before the birth of the child.
Out of gratitude
the parents dedicated the child to the Blessed Virgin.
A
gentleman wearing a hearing aid, approached
a woman leading
the rosary for a group during the
solemn procession
on the 15th of August during the summer of
1954. He fell back in his place after she
indicated to him on her
rosary how far the
group had reached. About half way
around
the procession
road the gentleman removed his hearing aid. Before
entering the
Chapel, the woman stepped back and said,
"Thank you
for saying the rosary with us." He replied, "Thank
you, and Thank
God, I can now hear."
This same woman
gave a report of an instant cure that she
witnessed during
the time of Adèle, when she attended school
there as a young
girl. A blind child was taken to the
Chapel by
his mother. It was not unusual for the suppliants to ask
Adèle
to join with them
in the novena. When she was unable to
do so,
Adèle would appoint
several girls to say the rosary with the pilgrim
and in this
particular case she designated Josie to lead it.
During the
recitation of the rosary, there were shouts from the
child in his
mother's arms. Pointing in various
directions the
child cried,
"Mama look! Mama look look!" - the child could see.
A five year old
child, niece of Sister Marguerite and Sister
Addie at the
Chapel, was kicked in the face by a horse.
When the
mother saw the
limp body of her little daughter and witnessed
the blood being drained
from her little body, she immediately
promised to make a
pilgrimage on foot to the Chapel, a distance
of twelve
miles. The bleeding stopped
instantly. The child suffered
no internal
injuries nor physical defects, which was considered
a miracle in
itself. She has been a religious for
many
years in a
Wisconsin community. Sister Lucille and
her family
have always been
grateful for Mary's special protection.
In 1953 the home for the Crippled Children was no longer needed, so the institution was converted into a
Pre - Novitiate for the Sisters of St. Francis. The Chapel was remodeled and in 1956 a new dorm was built. The
Pre - Novitiate continued until 1972, when the Chapel became the House of Prayer. The Sisters staying at the
Chapel at this time were; Sister Sharon St. John, Sister Clairann, Sister Mary Jean, and Sister Eugene. The
Sisters continued to live there until their lack of numbers caused them to move back to the Bay Settlement
Convent. The Sisters of the Carmelite moved into the Chapel, May 8, 1992. The Sisters move to a new Monastery
built in the New Denmark, Brown County, Wisconsin area in 2002.
The Shrine of "Our Lady of Good Help" was the first house of worship in the Belgian Community. It is
still nestled in the beautiful farming community of Robinsonville; and continues to be open to the public, with
many visits occurring daily. The community continues to hold processions twice a year around the Chapel
grounds. Once in May and again on August 15 on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary; with an occasional
procession when there is a great need in the community for help from Our Lady Mary. With Mary's help her
son’s, children continue to live on in God's love.
Reference material:
* "THE
CHAPEL, OUR LADY OF GOOD HELP" By the Sisters of Saint Francis of Bay
Settlement, November 1950.
* "THE
CHAPEL, OUR LADY OF GOOD HELP" by Sister M. Dominica, O.S.F.; The Sisters
of Saint Francis of Bay Settlement, 1955.
Special
Thanks to Sister Eugene.
* “17 200 BELGES
DEVENUS AMERICAINS 1620 – 1920” by Marcel Lacourt.
* Information obtained from Andy Allord from family
history. Thank you Andy.
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Shrine of Our
Lady of Good Help, Robinsonville, Brown County, Wisconsin, U.S.A. |
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