The Belgian Heritage Center in Brussels is among the many local organizations closely following developments involving one of the area’s most well-known immigrants.

Last month, Bishop David Ricken formally recognized Belgian immigrant Adele Brice as a Servant of God, the first of several steps toward sainthood.

During the Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871, Brice gathered area residents at the chapel and prayed for Mary’s protection from the blaze. While the fire destroyed much of the surrounding area, the grounds where the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion now stands remained largely untouched.

Belgian Heritage Center President Joe Alexander said it is a great opportunity to complement the Shrine’s storytelling surrounding Brice.

While the Belgian Heritage Center is closed until May, visitors can watch a video it produced about Brice below. The video includes bilingual elements in English and Walloon and features a personal story from Julian Romuald, who recounts being cured of a large childhood tumor after visiting the shrine.