Pilgrims gather before the Madre Peregrina (Pilgrim Mother) statue last August during its visit at the St. Joseph Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Des Plaines, Ill. (Submitted photo)
Not everyone will have an opportunity to travel to Mexico to visit Our Lady of Guadalupe, but what if Our Lady came to us?
That is exactly what is happening thanks to a statewide pilgrimage centered on a traveling relic statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe that is coming to Wisconsin.
“The pilgrimage is a powerful invitation to rediscover something the Church has long treasured but many have forgotten — the spiritual power of pilgrimage,” Wisconsin visitor coordinator Fr. Tim Oudenhoven said.
“Mary is coming to us, so that we can come to her.”
The life-size statue, Madre Peregrina (Pilgrim Mother), will be visiting two sites in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Feb. 20 to March 4 as part of a five-year international tour preparing for the 500th anniversary of her apparition.
Starting at set times each day, visitors will encounter an immersive experience designed to bring the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to life. Through music, prayer, and digital storytelling, pilgrims will be guided through the message of Guadalupe, including a decade of the Rosary and a retelling of Mary’s appearance to St. Juan Diego in 1531. The experience will be offered in English and Spanish.
While organizers plan to welcome walk-ins, organizers are encouraging those interested to use the reservation system at guadalupewi.org, which will help manage crowds and allow groups to register together. There is no charge to register and all are welcome.
The Madre Peregrina was commissioned in 2025 with the simple but profound goal of reminding the faithful that Mary is still actively interceding for the Church and that her message is as urgent today as it was in 1531.
“The pilgrim statue is a tangible connection to the living apparition of the image on the tilma or the cloak of Juan Diego,” Fr. Tim said. “There’s no greater apparition than Guadalupe as far as message and theology and impact. It is off the charts.”
The visit to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will kick off with a 6 p.m. Mass on Friday, Feb. 20, celebrated by Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob at the Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee.
The statue will remain at the basilica until Feb. 25 before moving to Holy Family in Fond du Lac, where a 6 p.m. opening Mass will be held Friday, Feb. 27, with Auxiliary Bishop James T. Schuerman. The experience will be available at Holy Family until Wednesday, March 4.
As part of the experience throughout its time in Wisconsin, Fr. Tim will offer teachings based on his detailed photography and studies to help many — especially those less familiar with Guadalupe — understand why she is often called the greatest Marian apparition in Church history.
Pilgrims will have time to venerate the image, pray quietly, take photos, and write personal prayer intentions on white ribbons. These petitions will later be brought to Mexico and offered at Mass at Tepeyac, the site of the original apparition, with the celebration livestreamed so Wisconsin pilgrims can participate spiritually. Pilgrims will also receive special prayer cards in English and Spanish as keepsakes of the experience.
After March 4, the statue will continue its journey beyond the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion just northeast of Green Bay, La Crosse, at Fr. Tim’s parishes in Chippewa Falls, and lastly, Madison.
Fr. Tim, pastor of St. Charles and St. Peter’s in Chippewa Falls, has a long-standing devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Just months into his priesthood, he was invited to Mexico by one of the world’s leading experts on Guadalupe. With his background in professional photography, Fr. Tim was given rare permission to photograph the tilma of St. Juan Diego in unprecedented detail—eventually producing a 1.1-gigapixel composite image.
“That experience changed everything,” Fr. Tim said. In fact, it led him to doctoral studies on Guadalupe and Mary’s role in evangelization. Eventually, he went on to start the Marian Messengers Apostolate — traveling and teaching 17,000 people in nine months about Guadalupe.
After helping with the statue’s first pilgrimage to the United States last August, Fr. Tim was invited to bring it to his parish — but Mary inspired something bigger: a statewide tour. One call to Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob secured support, making Wisconsin part of a rare and providential opportunity.
“It’s an honor to be able to do this,” Fr. Tim said. “It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever been part of as a priest and that’s very exciting.”
Volunteer help is being sought to help with the Madre Peregrina visit at the Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee and Holy Family, Fond du Lac. Details and a signup is available at https://archmil.regfox.com/our-lady-of-guadalupe-statue-volunteer-sign-up
