Being the nation’s only approved Marian apparition site brings thousands of people every year, but the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion still counts on its local members for support. Over 160,000 pilgrims visited the site in 2019 where Catholics believe the Virgin Mary appeared to Adele Brise over 150 years ago. Big events draw hundreds if not thousands of people at a time, but the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help also hosts daily and Sunday masses for the families that consider it their home church. Father John Broussard, the Shrine’s rector, says the locals are its heart.
Like other Catholic churches, the Shrine also offers opportunities to participate in other sacraments such as reconciliation and anointing of the sick.
