Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Good Help 2014 

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED - IT IS ONLY POSSIBLE TO PAY YOUR BALANCE

The event takes place on August 12-15, 2014 near Green Bay, WI, in the days leading up to the celebration of the Assumption of Our Lady, on August 15, when we will reach the Shrine and be part of a Mass and Procession presided by the Bishop of Green Bay, with about 3000 other pilgrims.

The pilgrimage consists of three days of walking, with approximately 12-14 miles each day, which we will walk in various stages with stops for prayers, testimonies and reflections.  We will be hosted, for meals and for overnight stays, in a few parishes in the Wisconsin countryside, that will allow us to use the gym or some other parish space to stay at.

You will need to bring your own sleeping bag, as we will mostly sleep on the floor.  We will have vans for transportation of our backpacks and belongings, but please be aware that we have limited space in the vans.

You don't need any special athletic preparation, but do keep in mind that for the walking you should be prepared to resist the summer heat and exhaustion.  Experts recommend to NOT buy new walking shoes for the walk, that you haven't broken in already.

The cost to attend the event is $200 per person, including ground transportation, lodging and food.  Flight transportation is not included.  If we have a lower-than-expected attendance, we may have to ask for an extra payment above the $200, to cover some of the flat expenses.  A non-refundable downpayment of $50 is required at the time of registration.  The balance is due one week before the event.

For the purposes of your travel planning, if you are flying to the area, you can choose one among the following options:

- fly into and out of Chicago O'Hare (ORD): arrive on Tuesday 8/12 before 12:00 noon, and fly out either on the night of Friday 8/15 after 9:00pm, or any time the next day Saturday 8/16 (we will arrange for accommodation in Chicago for the night of the 15 as needed);

- fly into and out of Milwaukee (MKE): arrive on Tuesday 8/12 before 2:00pm, and fly out on Friday 8/15 after 7:00pm;

- fly into and out of Green Bay (GRB): arrive on Tuesday 8/12 before 4:00pm, and fly out on Friday 8/15 after 5:00pm.

The vans will pick up and drop off people at the above mentioned airports and times.  If your flight does not meet these schedule requirements, you are on your own to reach the place where the pilgrimage begins, on Tuesday 8/12 at 6:00pm Central Time, at the Church of St. James in Coopertown, WI.

The pilgrimage is intended especially for college students, and in particular for people graduating and who are in a moment of vocational search in their lives.  If space is available, young workers and/or adults are also very welcome to participate.  We are planning on having between 20 and 30 people altogether.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, destination of our journey of prayer along the Wisconsin countryside, is the place of the apparition of Our Lady to a young woman from Belgium, in 1859.  Throughout the decades, the place has been the destination of devotion to the woman who introduced herself as "I am the Queen of Heaven," and the apparition has been canonically recognized in 2010; the only such place in North America.

Enrollment to the pilgrimage has been extended indefinately, but please register as soon as possible.  You can pay the $50 downpayment either by credit card or by check, as instructed on the next page.

Pay you balance now!