Name: USA, Wisconsin: Discovering Mary in the Heartland 2025
Start: 2025-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-05-02T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Wisconsin, USA

Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages

46 reviews

Apr 28 - May 2, 2025

Group size: 15 - 33

USA, Wisconsin: Discovering Mary in the Heartland 2025

Wisconsin, USA

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Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages

46 reviews

Apr 28 - May 2, 2025

Group size: 15 - 33

In 1859, a woman appeared to a young Belgian immigrant near Champion, Wisconsin – in the heartland of America – and revealed herself as “The Queen of Heaven.” Her message: “Gather the children of this wild country and teach them what they need to know for salvation.” A small chapel built on this site began attracting the local immigrant population; they brought to Our Lady their concerns in times of sickness and uncertainty, or when drought threatened their crops…and in the ensuing years, blessings, even miracles, began to flow.

Known only to locals until relatively recently, the site of this apparition – the only Church-approved Marian apparition in the U.S. – is now a designated National Shrine. Europe has its Fatima, its Lourdes, its Czestochowa…and we in the United States have the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Champion, Wisconsin.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion is a bright star set in a gleaming constellation of Catholic shrines, monasteries, and chapels spanning the state of Wisconsin. Because of its Protestant roots, America has never had a strong tradition of pilgrimage, but along this route of national shrines and sacred sites, you will find in Wisconsin a land of rich Catholic heritage, culturally and spiritually – a land where the tradition of pilgrimage is growing and beginning to flourish. Now is the time to experience these Catholic riches along the farm roads and forests of Wisconsin.

Come with us on a journey to Discover Mary in the Heartland, and learn about Mary’s message to the souls in this country as she leads us to her son, Jesus.

Airport: Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Date: Monday, April 28, 2025 (Day 1 of the pilgrimage)
Time: Before 9:30 a.m. (Local Time)
Transfer: Group transfer from the airport to Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill in Hubertus, WI

It is recommended to arrive on Sunday, April 27, 2025, to allow for rest and flexibility in flight choices. If you arrive early, you can contact our office for assistance in booking the selected early arrival hotel. The transfer will pick up participants from this hotel on Day 1 after the group pick-up at the airport.

Departure Information:

Airport: Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Date: Friday, May 2, 2025 (Day 5 of the pilgrimage)
Time: After 6:30 p.m. (Local Time)
Transfer: Group transfer to the airport from Milwaukee

Recommended Travel Agency:

For booking flights, Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages recommends using Gulliver's Travel. Cindy McCoy, an experienced travel agent at Gulliver's Travel, will handle your airline reservations and then forward them to our office, making the process seamless for you!

Travel Agent: Cindy McCoy
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1.817.924.7766

Contact Information:

For any other questions, please call the U.S. Office: +1.202.536.4555

With more than 30 years of publishing Inside the Vatican magazine, we have colleagues and friends all over the world — and many of them have become part of our Pilgrimage family.

Designing an Inside the Vatican pilgrimage begins with a theme or a particular country; then we weave in encounters with real people who live and work there, as well as those with expert knowledge in its historical and spiritual perspectives. Each day we will have the opportunity to attend Mass.

Our itineraries include both world-renowned and little-known places, and every detail has been arranged to create a truly unique experience; we do not have cookie-cutter pilgrimages. And our pilgrims appreciate the fact that we never exceed 33 pilgrims. For our custom pilgrimages, we may exceed 33 pilgrims only at the client's request.

Crafting an Inside the Vatican Pilgrimage is about knowing firsthand what makes a place extraordinary, knowing personally the people involved, understanding how best to experience it and then finessing the countless details, moments and encounters both planned and spontaneous. Our thoughtful trip design, flexible pace and local connections are just a few of the reasons why our pilgrims often return to join us again for other pilgrimages.

Whether you choose one of our intimate-sized Signature Pilgrimages, or Classic Pilgrimages with budget-friendly pricing, we work hard to ensure that every pilgrimage is a moving experience and an authentic spiritual journey for each pilgrim.

Call our U.S. Office: +1.202.536.4555 Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET. If you call after hours, leave a message. You can email our office: [email protected].

Before you book your trip with us, please read carefully our Terms and Conditions

Call us to inquire about any applicable discounts: U.S. Office +1 202.536.4555 Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET. You can email our office: [email protected].

Meals
Four (4) breakfasts, three (3) lunches and two (2) dinners are included.
Hotels Accommodations
Four (4) nights
Private Motor Coach
Private, first-class motor coach bus and all group transfers are included
Taxes and Fees
All local taxes are included.
Entrance Fees
All entrance fees are included.
Arrival Transfers
Group Transfer from Chicago O'Hare International Airport / Chicago O'Hare International Airport Hilton Garden Inn
Departure Transfers
Group Transfer to Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Custom Pilgrimage Book
Personalized ITV pilgrim book

Airfare
Airfare to/from Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Gratuities
Gratuities payable to the bus driver.
Meals
Meals not specifically identified. - two (2) lunches and two (2) dinners
Arrival Transfers
Airport transfers for those not arriving within specified time frames to participate in the group transfers.
Departure Transfers
Airport transfers for those not arriving within specified time frames to participate in the group transfers.
Other Personal Expenses
Other personal expenses including, but not limited to, laundry services, minibar in hotel rooms, et cetera.
Other
Items not specifically mentioned in the pilgrimage description literature.

Land Only Package: Single Room

Deposit:$750

The listed price is per person for a single occupancy room. Airfare is not included.

$2,395

Deposit:$750

Land Package: Double Room (2 people)

Deposit:$750

The listed price is per person, based on double room occupancy (2 people sharing one room). Please note that airfare is not included in the price. If you are paying for both people staying in the double room, select a quantity of "2" to add both names to the reservation.

$1,995

Deposit:$750

Day 1: MON Apr 28, 2025
Day 1: MON Apr 28, 2025
Arrive & ascend Holy Hill Basilica and learn about the "Wisconsin Way"
We will head north for Holy Hill where we will visit the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians and participate in a private Mass with fellow pilgrims.

We will meet the Discalced Carmelite Friars who are entrusted with the care of this sacred place and will hear the rich history of this Basilica set atop a high hill overlooking 400 acres of forest. There will be a chance to explore the Basilica and walk the Stations of the Cross.

From Holy Hill, we will travel to our hotel in the city of Manitowoc on the shore of Lake Michigan where we hope to meet Fr. Andrew Kurz, the priest who started The Wisconsin Way. Fr. Kurz, if available, will share with us how his dream of starting a pilgrimage route through Wisconsin, comparable to that of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, became a reality. He will share stories about the graces pilgrims have received on their journey along the Wisconsin Way and offer insights into the rich history of Catholicism and the deep roots of Marian Devotion in this beautiful state.

Lunch and Dinner included.
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Day 2: TUE Apr 29, 2025
Day 2: TUE Apr 29, 2025
Meet the Monks at Holy Resurrection Monastery & Taste Wisconsin Cheese
After breakfast in the morning, we will leave Manitowoc for the historic town of St. Nazianz, arriving at the Holy Resurrection Monastery where we will join the monks for Divine Liturgy and then enjoy lunch in their refectory prepared by Abbott Moses, the chief baker and Culinary Institute of America-trained chef. After lunch, one of the monks will offer a reflection on monasticism and Byzantine Catholic spirituality after which, weather permitting, we will go for a short walk along the Wisconsin Way from the monastery to the chapel of our Lady of Loreto then back to the monastery.

We will visit a farm that houses a very special private chapel, the Mary Queen of our Hearts Chapel. The owner of the farm will share her story which explains the origins of this private chapel.

In the afternoon, we will visit an authentic Wisconsin cheese shop and museum to sample fresh curds and discover the traditional art of cheesemaking.

In the evening, we will enjoy traditional Wisconsin cuisine at a historic dining spot in downtown Manitowoc.

Breakfast and Lunch are included.
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Day 3: WED Apr 30, 2025
Day 3: WED Apr 30, 2025
Shrine of Our Lady of Champion and a winery
After breakfast, we will head to Champion to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion where we will attend Mass at the site of the first and only Church-approved Marian apparition in the United States.

After Mass at the Shrine, we will have the opportunity to hear the story of Our Lady’s visitation to Adele Brise and to better appreciate the historic roots of Catholicism brought to Wisconsin by early immigrants. There will be time for silent prayer and reflection followed by lunch at the Shrine’s cafe.

After lunch, pilgrims may be able to participate in enrollment in the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary at the Shrine in a brief ceremony. We hope that this will provide each person with a tangible way of entrusting themselves to Mary on their journey toward Christ. Anyone who enrolls will receive a certificate after the ceremony.

From the Shrine, we will head down the road to the Curran Spirituality Center. Completed in 2015 the Curran Spirituality Center is a charming Devotional Chapel and Rosary Prayer Garden open year round and is one of the spiritual places along Wisconsin Way pilgrimage.

We will continue to a local vineyard and winery founded and owned by Catholics that supplies grapes for the annual blessing of the wine at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. We will tour the vineyard and partake of tastings in the winery accompanied by seasonal charcuterie and local cheese.

On the way home, we will visit roadside “rogation shrines” in the local area and learn how these important chapels were an integral part of the lives of Catholic immigrants in Wisconsin.

Breakfast and Lunch Included
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Day 4 : THUR May 1, 2025
Day 4 : THUR May 1, 2025
National Shrine of St. Joesph and Mary
After breakfast, our pilgrimage continues onward to the city of Green Bay into the heart of the Catholic Diocese in which the apparition of Our Lady of Champion was deemed “worthy of belief” by Rome, making it the first and only Church-approved Marian apparition in North America.

Mass, on this feast day of St. Joseph the Worker, will be in the center of Green Bay at the National Shrine of St. Joesph.

After Mass, we will visit the Norbertine Monastery in De Pere where we will have a private visit of the St. Norbert Abbey Church and Crypt.

We will then head towards the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion stopping along the way for lunch. Once we arrive to the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, we will have the opportunity to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in the Main Church, visit the History Center, the Apparition Chapel and Oratory.

Breakfast and Dinner included.

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Day 5: FRI May 2, 2025
Day 5: FRI May 2, 2025
Farewell
After breakfast, we depart for Milwaukee where we will visit the Basilica of St. Josaphat and attend our final private Mass together. St. Josphat is a patron saint of Unity. He died trying to heal the Great Schism -- between the Orthodox and the Catholics. After Mass, we will have lunch in downtown Milwaukee and visit other Catholic churches as times allows. We head towards Chicago in the mid afternoon for early evening flights from Chicago O'Hare Airport .

Breakfast included.
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Day 1: MON Apr 28, 2025

Arrive & ascend Holy Hill Basilica and learn about the "Wisconsin Way"

We will head north for Holy Hill where we will visit the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians and participate in a private Mass with fellow pilgrims.

We will meet the Discalced Carmelite Friars who are entrusted with the care of this sacred place and will hear the rich history of this Basilica set atop a high hill overlooking 400 acres of forest. There will be a chance to explore the Basilica and walk the Stations of the Cross.

From Holy Hill, we will travel to our hotel in the city of Manitowoc on the shore of Lake Michigan where we hope to meet Fr. Andrew Kurz, the priest who started The Wisconsin Way. Fr. Kurz, if available, will share with us how his dream of starting a pilgrimage route through Wisconsin, comparable to that of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, became a reality. He will share stories about the graces pilgrims have received on their journey along the Wisconsin Way and offer insights into the rich history of Catholicism and the deep roots of Marian Devotion in this beautiful state.

Lunch and Dinner included.

Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages

46 reviews

With more than 30 years of publishing Inside the Vatican magazine, we have colleagues and friends all over the world — and many of them have become part of our Pilgrimage family. Designing an Inside the Vatican pilgrimage begins with a theme or a particular country; then we weave in encounters with real people who live and work there, as well as those with expert knowledge in its historical and spiritual perspectives. Every detail has been arranged to create a unique experience; an authentic spiritual journey for each pilgrim.

This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We were able to travel to Rome and stay in the Domus, which afforded us many very special opportunities and access that rarely we would be given. Our small group of 7 traveled with the President and Owner of ITV, and had incredible discussions and watched the innerworkings of the Vatican and the Pope. This was especially incredible for the Jubilee year. I think I walked through St. Peter's Holy Doors about 20x.

By Dana H for Italy: The Solemnity of Mary Inside the Vatican on Jan 04, 2025

We have a great time. Fantastic, friendly and very accommodating coordinators. Hotel accomodation is very good. My wife and I have learned so much from this Pilgrimage. Kudos to all and God bless. Happy New Year.

By virginia V for Italy: Christmas 2024 on Dec 31, 2024

I started my journey from Chicago not knowing what exactly to expect. I had been following Fr. Murr and Dr. Robert Moynihan's podcasts for a while and was confident that I would enjoy listening to Fr. Murr in person. It exceeded my expectations. We were welcomed at the convent by Fr Murr and anyone who follows his podcasts has to admit that he has a magnetic personality. The convent run by the nuns felt so warm and homely. We could smell their delicious home cooking while we were attending Mass and lunch followed Mass, needless to say it was special. They always seemed so cheerful which made me realize that you don't have to have too much in life to be happy as long as you have God as your anchor. We were invited to dinner at Fr. Murr's Hacienda and were given a lovely spread of Spanish delicacies, including the famous Paella. It was accompanied with live Spanish music. On our tour of his lovely home, Fr. Murr showed us the room he broadcasts his podcasts from, which was quite different from what I had imagined. Dr. Moynihan showed us his musical talents by singing a song about a biscuit which his grandfather used to sing. It was a wonderful evening. The little town of Carmona is so charming with so much history, and I felt I was taken back in time. We also visited Seville, Rhonda and Cordoba, which also have so much history and absolutely lovely. We did experience some unexpected heavy rains but in spite of this we brought our rain gear out and ventured out. My fellow Pilgrims were such good sports, and we enjoyed good comradeship and fellowship. Debra Tomilson and Dr Moynihan are very caring and warm people who really make a conscious effort to make sure the pilgrims are safe and comfortable. Our guide Damian, with his lovely accent and helpfulness was certainly an asset to the trip.

By Bhimla A for Spain: Pilgrimage and Retreat with Father Murr on Nov 18, 2024

Top notch! Very inspiring retreat with Fr. Murr! Our accommodations were both comfortable and convenient. The sisters were delightful. The meals were delicious and nutritious. Our leaders, Deborah and Damian were terrific! Deborah skillfully addressed challenges and kept things running smoothly. Damian, with his command of languages, his knowledge of culture and history and his eternal patience, was simply indispensable. Immensely enjoyed meeting and listening to discussions with Robert Moynihan as well.

By Mary Catherine A for Spain: Pilgrimage and Retreat with Father Murr on Nov 03, 2024

The pilgrimage was outstanding. The whole group was interesting and a joy to be with. The rejuvenation of my faith life was by far the best part of the pilgrimage. Attending Mass each day, twice at the Basilica and different churches around the area on the other days. Reciting the Rosary while traveling on the bus was beautiful as well as singing the Ave Maria at the end of each decade and the Salve Regina at the end of the Rosary. Visiting the memorials of the incorrupt Blessed Sebastian de Aparicio y del Pardo and Blessed Father Miguel Pro SJ, helps to bring reality to the shortness of our lives and a good example of how to live by sacrificing our lives in the name of Jesus Christ for others. The Gonzalez’s new revelation of the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe which is the real reason the indigenous people were brought to see the fulfillment of their longing for God and their longing to live with Him in (the Flower World) paradise. The indigenous people saw the fulfillment of the (Flower World) Prophesy in Juan Diego. They were able to relate his devoted Catholic life to his worthiness to enter paradise and return. Each day the Gonzalez’s would present the premise of the next chapter of their book by traveling to each location described. They both work so well together, Monique the storyteller and with Joseph explaining the details of the story. Now this is a truth that I can imagine having the consequences of millions of indigenous people coming to be baptized. Ruben Mendoza Medrano Led us with many spiritual thoughts and led us in prayers on several occasions. He gave us a run down on the History of Mexico in general especially with the political landscape. Ruben was an outstanding interpreter for the difficult situations that were encountered. May the soul of your cousin rest in peace. Anne Marie Goldberg Worked tirelessly to make sure all the details were worked out so that the whole Pilgrimage continued flawlessly. I am sure there is no shortage of pictures to document the entire Pilgrimage. Amenities and Accommodations Opportunities for great food were well planned out with nice lunches and dinners planned even for the meals that were “on our own”. Breakfasts in the Hotel were very good with fresh fruit and other hot breakfast items. There was plenty of drinking water supplied. It is important to bring the electrolyte packets to mix into the water bottles. This need must be communicated to the attendees far enough in advance so they can order some online and have time to receive them before the trip. Bathroom breaks were a little discomforting. It costs 5-10 pesos for each location and there is a great lack of public (Water Closets) toilets available. The bathroom breaks need to be strategically planned along the route to ensure everyone can be taken care of at the proper time. The bus did have an “emergency” use lavatory on board. The hotel accommodation was very adequate however, the low shower water temperature gave plenty of opportunity to offer up sacrifices. The security around the area of the Hotel was quite sketchy, especially with one of the bags being sliced open with a razor knife. There were also daily mob protests that closed streets without warning. Transportation was excellent with a driver (Jesus) who navigated through downtown Mexico City as if driving a small car! Walking There is a lot of walking required for this Pilgrimage. There are many trip hazards in most of the locations, with sidewalks in disrepair and uneven surfaces along the way. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to attend this pilgrimage. It is well worth the effort to read the book and go to all the important locations as described. When this book is published in Spanish it will have a powerful effect again for the people of Aztec descent because it will bring back a sound base of where they came from and how God planed in the fullness of time to reveal Himself to them. What a beautiful story, one that can be celebrated by everyone. One thing I did miss though is an evening of wine and meeting with Fr. Murr and Dr. Robert Moynihan, but then again, we did well by having a social evening with all in the group who could stay up past their bed time on the last evening on the hotel terrace. What a wonderful time that was. Thanks All.

By Louis M for Mexico: Our Lady of Guadalupe & the Flower World Prophecy on Oct 11, 2024

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USA, Wisconsin: Discovering Mary in the Heartland 2025

USA, Wisconsin: Discovering Mary in the Heartland 2025

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