Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians

Infobox nrhp
name = Basilica of Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians
nrhp_type =

---

caption =
location = Erin, Wisconsin
nearest_city = Hubertus, Wisconsin
built = 1930 / 1863
architect = Hermann J. Gaul
Richard Philipp
architecture = Romanesque [http://www.nr.nps.gov/ National Register Information System] , National Register of Historic Places, "National Park Service". Retrieved May 25 2007.]
added = July 16 2006
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
refnum = 92000139
mpsub =
governing_body =

Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians is a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The centerpiece of the shrine is a minor basilica. It is located near Hubertus, Wisconsin, within the town of Erin, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The shrine has approximately 300,000 visitors per year.cite news |first=Don |last=Behm |title=Vandals desecrate grounds of Holy Hill on 6-6-'06 |url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=433033 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=June 7 2006 |accessdate=2007-06-19 ]

Location

The shrine is located atop a high kame in convert|400|acre|km2 of woods. Visitors can climb a 178-step observation tower to view the Milwaukee skyline, which is located 30 miles (48 km) away.cite news |title=Holy Hill Shrine, Wisconsin |url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/usa/wisconsin-holy-hill.htm |work=Sacred Destinations |accessdate=2007-06-19] [cite news |first=Andy |last=Tarnoff |title=Holy Hill makes for festive day trip in winter or summer |url=http://www.onmilwaukee.com/articles/holyhillfun.html |work=On Milwaukee |date=January 2 2001 |accessdate=2007-06-19 ] At approximately 1,350 feet above sea level it is one of the highest points in southeastern Wisconsin. It is located near Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail.

History

Tradition says that the hill was first discovered in 1673 by Father Marquette on his return from the discovery of the upper Mississippi River with Joliet.cite news |title=Term: Holy Hill |url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=10426&keyword=Diseases |work=Wisconsin Historical Society |accessdate=2007-06-19] It is now known that Fr. Marquette did not travel to this area.

The United States government owned the land until 1855. The hill was known as "Government Hill" for surveying work was done there. Forty acres was purchased by Fr. Paulhuber, from Salzburg, Austria.

The first resident on the hill was a hermit named Francois Soubrio. A farmer found him living on the hill in around 1862. Soubrio had heard about the hill when he was working as an assistant to a retired professor in Quebec, Canada. Soubrio found an old French diary and map (dated 1676) showing a cone-shaped mountain in Wisconsin. The diary describes how the author placed a stone altar, raised a cross, and dedicated the hill to Jesus' mother Mary. The diary account corresponds with Jesuit missionary work in the area between 1673 and 1679.

The name "Holy Hill" was first used by Father George Strickner when he was dedicating a log chapel as the first Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians on May 24 1863.cite news |first=Tom |last=Kertschner |title=Cousins charged with felonies in Holy Hill vandalism; Authorities |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20060610/ai_n16478044 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=June 10 2006 |accessdate=2007-06-19 ] A set of wooden crosses were placed for the Stations of the Cross in 1875. In the winter of 1879, Fr. Raess sent a proposal to Archbishop John Henni to construct a new shrine to Mary. Construction began that spring. Pilgrims began flocking to the shrine, and it was decided that a religious order should administer the shrine. A group of Discalced Carmelites came from Bavaria at the invitation of Archbishop Sebastian Messmer, and the Shrine of Mary was put under their care on June 26 1906. The building now known as the Old Monastery Inn and Retreat Center was completed in 1920. The second shrine was removed in 1925 so that a third shrine could be built. The cornerstone of the third and present shrine was placed by Archbishop Messmer on August 22 1926. The present church was completed and consecrated in 1931.

Another tradition describes a German priest who was recreant to his vows came to America for penance. He found a reference to the hill in Marquette's diary and decided to take a pilgrimage. He became ill in Chicago, and was paralyzed. He reportedly found the hill, crawled to the summit on his hands, and was cured of his paralysis.

Worship site

The basilica hosts a weekend mass schedule. There are daily religious services and Marian devotions.

The main church was built in 1930. The church has two eight-foot-tall statues at its entrance, which were placed in 1958. The left statue depicts St. Mary Help of Christians, and the right statue depicts Saint Joseph, protector of the Carmelites. The inside of the church "(pictured)" features mosaics of Discalced Carmelite founders St. Theresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross.

Repairs

The church underwent a $6.1 million renovation between 2002 and 2006. The renovations include extensive interior decorative painting by a New Berlin decorative arts firm that has serviced the church since the 1920s and exterior repairs, including a new slate roof for the monastery, main church and bell tower.

On June 6, 2006 (06/06/06) vandals spray painted the church and several shrines with expletives and references to Satan and the Number of the Beast. It was later discovered the vandals were two teenage boys. The cost of removing the graffiti was in excess of $33,000.00. [cite news |first=Dan |last=Benson |title=Judge scolds Holy Hill vandals; At sentencing, desecration called |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20070112/ai_n17127324 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=January 12 2007 |accessdate=2007-07-25]

Milestones

The shrine was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On July 16 2006, a mass was held celebrating 100 years of Carmelite stewardship at the site. During that mass it was announced that Pope Benedict XVI had named Holy Hill a minor basilica. [cite news |first=Gay |last=Griesbach |title=Papal blessing: Holy Hill upgraded to minor basilica |url=http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2006/July_06/07172006_05.asp |work=West Bend Daily News |date=July 17 2006 |accessdate=2007-06-19 ] On November 19 2006, Archbishop Timothy Dolan dedicated Holy Hill as a minor basilica during mass. There are fewer than 60 minor basilicas in the United States. [cite news |first=Larry |last=Sandler |title=A DAY OF CEREMONY; Holy Hill dedicated as minor basilica
url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20061120/ai_n16857017 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=November 20 2006 |accessdate=2007-06-19 ]

References

Additional reading

*Kearns, Mary, "Holy Hill: its history/ written and published by Mary Kearns", 1987, Discaled Carmelite Fathers.

External links

* [http://www.holyhill.com/ Holy Hill]
* [http://www.felarscheidstainedglass.com/ Frank E Larscheid's ecclesiastical works]
* [http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=164056/ 2003 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article]