By Katie Vasquez
Patricia and Michael Cholewka pray the rosary every day and have a devotion to the Blessed Mother.
When they learned the story of Our Lady of Champion, they decided to create a devotional shrine at their parish, Our Lady of Angels in Bay Ridge.
“I thought it would be wonderful that people would know more about the apparition and show her honor,” said Patricia Cholewka.
“I was interested that the Catholic bishops finally, in 2010, that was 151 years after the apparition, approved it. you know, and made it, official,” said Michael Cholewka.
The apparition of the blessed mother appeared to a woman in Wisconsin named Adele Brice on October 9th, 1859.
“She said, ‘I am the queen of heaven.’ and she gave Adele certain things to do, like to teach the children,” said Patricia Cholewka.
Pastor Father Kevin Abels was happy to have the devotional in his parish, hoping that the faithful can learn from our lady.
“It really challenges people that have that devotion. To help our children to kind of learn about their faith,” said Father Abels, “as well as for people to, to pray for the conversion of sinners, which certainly, as we all know, was something very near and dear to the heart of our blessed mother.”
Parishioner Stephen Capper believes attention towards the blessed mother is always a good thing.
“Devotion to our lady is the greatest way to, you know, to our lord. I mean, if you’re nice to my mother, I’m going to be nice to you,” said Capper.
And the Cholewkas’ hope it will inspire others in the same way it did for them.
“I hope the new devotion brings them closer to Jesus and to Mary first and helps them in their times of trouble or hard times,” said Michael Cholewka.
“When I read about the shrine in Wisconsin, there are healings that occur, spiritual healings, and people leave their crutches there. so maybe it’ll happen here, i don’t know, but we have it. We have faith that it will occur,” said Patricia Cholewka.
You can visit the devotional shrine whenever the church is open.