Archdiocesan Marian Shrine

43°01′58″N 87°59′51″W / 43.032892°N 87.997609°W / 43.032892; -87.997609LocationMilwaukee, WisconsinMaterialCarrara marble, lannon stone, concreteDedicated toBlessed Virgin MaryWebsitehttp://www.marianshrinemilwaukee.org/

The Archdiocesan Marian Shrine, formerly known as the Milwaukee Fatima Shrine and the National Shrine to Our Lady of Fatima, is of the Roman Catholic Church and a shrine to the Virgin Mary. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee, which acquired the property from the Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary.^[1] It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The shrine was dedicated on April 26, 1948.^[2] The shrine also has a small indoor chapel and stone representations of the 15 mysteries of the rosary.

History

The shrine began as a prayer for peace by the cloistered Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary. It is a Carrera marble statue of the Virgin Mary and statues of the three children and sheep.^[1] In May 1945, it was thought to be the first and only shrine to Our Lady of Fatima in the United States. The Dominican Sisters hoped it would be made a national shrine.^[3]

Additions to the shrine

A marble figure of Christ erected on a cross was added in 1952. It was donated by a woman who wished to remain anonymous.^[4]

In 1967, a brewery worker, contributed a marble statue of St. Joseph and his son. The brewery worker felt the shrine was incomplete without a statue of the father of Christ.^[5] It is also in memory of the accidental death of Frederick C. Miller and his 20-year-old son, Fred Jr. The statue bears a part of Miller's favorite prayer.^[5]

References