Bishop David Ricken leads 50 Wisconsin pilgrims to Belgium

Bishop David Ricken led 50 pilgrims from the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, on a 10-day trip to Belgium from Oct. 10 to Oct. 20. The group visited locations associated with Adele Brice, the servant of God and visionary behind the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion.

The itinerary included Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Dion-le-Val, and Leuven. Participants visited the Church of Our Lady, the Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel, the tomb of St. Damien of Molokai, and the Catholic University of Leuven. The group also visited Brice's hometown, her home parish, the site of her confirmation, and the port where her family departed for New York in 1855.

Bishop Ricken told EWTN News that the pilgrimage allowed participants to discover their roots. He noted that many pilgrims were from Door County, Wisconsin, which contains a large Belgian community.