Our Lady of Lourdes would like to again host a bus trip, as we have done for the past two years. On Wednesday, October 1, we will visit the Belgian Heritage Center in Brussels (WI), several roadside shrines, and the Our Lady of Good Help Shrine at Champion, with lunch at Belgian Delight. The trip is open to all adult parishioners and their guest(s).
We will leave OLOL from the south parking lot at 8:30 a.m. on October 1. Our tour guide Barb (Englebert) Chisolm will greet us upon arrival at the Belgian Heritage Center for a full tour of the buildings and grounds. The site of the BHC is the former Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church. In 1893, a young Norbertine, Fr. Bernard Pennings, was sent to serve the Belgian community of what is now southern Door County. A school was built with living quarters for the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross. The school has been restored and is on the grounds of the Belgian Heritage Center.
Barb will share with us some of the history, heritage and culture of the Belgian settlers, including the story of her great-grandparents who survived the Great Fire (Peshtigo Fire) of 1871. You will hear familiar names like Delwiche, Conard, Johannes, Pierre, Thiry, Bellin, Monfils, and Curly Lambeau. After the Great Fire, many of the Belgian families moved to the Green Bay/
De Pere area, including ancestors of Lourdes parishioners. Barb will also accompany us to several roadside chapels of the area (there are 30+ such roadside chapels in NE Wisconsin) and share the stories behind them. You will be able to leave the bus for a look inside.
We’ll enjoy a buffet lunch at The Belgian Delight, which will include some Belgian favorites like booyah, trippe (a kind of sausage), jutt (a cabbage-based vegetable dish), mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, and Belgian pie. (Broasted chicken will be on the buffet for those who prefer). A Belgian feast for sure!
Following lunch, we’ll continue to Our Lady of Good Help Shrine at Champion, where we will spend about an hour. We will arrive back at Our Lady of Lourdes around 3:45 p.m.
The cost for the day is $60, which includes your bus fare, buffet lunch, our tour guide and all gratuities. Our hope is to fill the bus with 52 participants but would like to have at least 45 attendees to break even with the costs.
Some may wonder about the increased cost compared to past trips. The Holy Hill trip of 2023 did not include lunch and was $35. The trip to Rudolph was $40 and lunch was made by the ladies of St. Philip’s church. Also, we did not have a tour guide for previous trips. Comparatively speaking, a dinner and show or other day-long bus trips usually cost at least $60 and often more. We expect to have a wonderful day that will be well worth your time and money!
The deadline for RSVP is Friday, September 12, but you are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible to help us gauge the level of interest. All payments are due no later than Friday, September 19. These dates are firm without exception to enable us to give accurate numbers and payment to the BHC and restaurant.
Please consider joining your fellow parishioners and friends for this enjoyable and prayerful day of fun, learning, and friendship! If you have any questions, send an email or a call me at the Parish Office or feel free to talk with one of our OWLS Committee members.
— Robin Therese and the OWLS (Older & Wiser Lourdes Saints) Committee –
Chris Berner, Yvonne Lee, Karen Nienhaus, Dar Smet
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