Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Archivist Sister Caritas Strodthoff is excited to share about our inclusion is a book by Michael Cooney. Read more here.
In February of 2024, Michael Cooney visited Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity to take pictures for his pending publication featuring Wisconsin’s Shrines, Chapels and Grottos. Archivist Sister Caritas Strotdhoff facilitated the photo shoot. On pages 72-73, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity’s St. Francis Chapel, past and current Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto and Sacred Heart Grotto are illustrated with a historical commentary. Michael writes:
The soul is speaking, the spirit is at work, you can feel it in the stones, glass, wood, and shells that, transformed from their respective realities in the hands of the builder, become a testament to belief and spiritual communion. From the magnificent and world famous to the simplest back yard shrine each has a story that reflects their builder’s vision, ethnic heritage and faith.”
Part religious anthropology, part pilgrimage and spiritual quest, many of the sites visited are along roadsides, in cemeteries, church grounds, backyards or deep in the woods and are little noticed or appreciated by those passing by. They are the physical manifestation of the builder’s faith, often built in remembrance or as an expression of gratitude for prayers answered.
