Saintly Devotion in Door County
October 31st marks All Hallows’ Eve, the vigil night for the Catholic Church’s feast of All Saint’s Day. Whether you are Catholic or not, you probably know of some of the saints the Catholic Church celebrates. Some of them come from the gospels, like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the four gospel writers, Jesus’ apostles, or St. Paul. Others lived heroic lives throughout the centuries and are known for their sanctity, preaching, and other charitably works. I would bet most could identify St. Francis of Assisi or St. Anthony of Padua, both being common garden statues.
We are blessed to live in the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. The area of southern Door County was populated by many Belgian immigrants. A custom of the motherland was to erect roadside chapels to Jesus, the Blessed Virgin, or any of the saints so that when you passed by one, you could stop and pray. In Northeastern Wisconsin, that tradition from Belgium continued and as you drive along the countryside you might see a white roadside chapel along the road marking the faith and devotion of the people. The stories behind the chapel vary; some in response to favors received, others because they wanted a place to pray or honor a specific saint.
During the month of October, I’ve been leading people virtually on tours of these chapels through a Facebook page I created called “Belgian Roadside Chapel of Northeastern Wisconsin.” The endeavor has been spiritually edifying for me and those who are following along. Along the way, you encounter the popular saints of Catholicism like St. Therese of Lisieux or you meet obscure saints like St. Ghislain (Misere) or St. Donat (CTH C). Some chapels incorporate statues or altars from closed churches and provide a space for people from those communities to remember their parish heritage (e.g. St. Odille’s, Thiry Daems).
In my journeys, I’ve discovered that these chapels aren’t just for Catholics. One is cared for by an evangelical Christian in response to a commitment she made to a family member decades ago. When visiting St. Anthony Chapel along the nature trail at UWGB, I met a mom and her children. When I asked if they visited regularly, they mentioned their Lutheran pastor taught about it in a class for the youth.
We all are in need of prayer. If you want to pray to end the pandemic, visit the St. Roch Chapel by the Belgian Heritage Center in Namur. St. Roch is the patron saint invoked during times of plagues. Know someone with cancer? Visit the St. Peregrine Chapel at the back end of the St. Hubert Parish in Rosiere. These little chapels are reminders of God’s grace and invite us to prayer. While you traverse the roads of life, if you happen by a roadside chapel, you may wish to pop your head in and lift your voice in prayer to Almighty God.
Fr. Edward Looney pastors the Catholics parishes in Brussels and Lincoln/Rosiere
We are blessed to live in the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. The area of southern Door County was populated by many Belgian immigrants. A custom of the motherland was to erect roadside chapels to Jesus, the Blessed Virgin, or any of the saints so that when you passed by one, you could stop and pray. In Northeastern Wisconsin, that tradition from Belgium continued and as you drive along the countryside you might see a white roadside chapel along the road marking the faith and devotion of the people. The stories behind the chapel vary; some in response to favors received, others because they wanted a place to pray or honor a specific saint.
During the month of October, I’ve been leading people virtually on tours of these chapels through a Facebook page I created called “Belgian Roadside Chapel of Northeastern Wisconsin.” The endeavor has been spiritually edifying for me and those who are following along. Along the way, you encounter the popular saints of Catholicism like St. Therese of Lisieux or you meet obscure saints like St. Ghislain (Misere) or St. Donat (CTH C). Some chapels incorporate statues or altars from closed churches and provide a space for people from those communities to remember their parish heritage (e.g. St. Odille’s, Thiry Daems).
In my journeys, I’ve discovered that these chapels aren’t just for Catholics. One is cared for by an evangelical Christian in response to a commitment she made to a family member decades ago. When visiting St. Anthony Chapel along the nature trail at UWGB, I met a mom and her children. When I asked if they visited regularly, they mentioned their Lutheran pastor taught about it in a class for the youth.
We all are in need of prayer. If you want to pray to end the pandemic, visit the St. Roch Chapel by the Belgian Heritage Center in Namur. St. Roch is the patron saint invoked during times of plagues. Know someone with cancer? Visit the St. Peregrine Chapel at the back end of the St. Hubert Parish in Rosiere. These little chapels are reminders of God’s grace and invite us to prayer. While you traverse the roads of life, if you happen by a roadside chapel, you may wish to pop your head in and lift your voice in prayer to Almighty God.
Fr. Edward Looney pastors the Catholics parishes in Brussels and Lincoln/Rosiere
Comments
Post a Comment