Necedah, Wisconsin - Virgin Mary Appeared Here

Necedah, Wisconsin - Virgin Mary Appeared Here

The Mediatrix of Peace first visited in 1950, and still stops by -- only now she's invisible! Plenty of shrines and statuary, including Abe Lincoln and George Washington. Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Necedah, Wisconsin - Abe Lincoln and Jesus
Loopy Lincoln Landmark: An unlikely trinity. Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Necedah, Wisconsin - Mediatrix of Peace Shrine

In the 1950s, a woman named Mary Ann Van Hoof had a vision of the Virgin Mary in her backyard and it created a sensationalistic pilgrimage by millions of people to the site. A shrine was built, complete with religious statues in hyperbolic chambers! It is a fairly large site with a path leading to different scenes behind glass. Plans for a 2,000 seat cathedral were started in the '60s, but the footers and half walls are left standing to rot right now because of lack of funds. There is a 24-hour perpetual prayer hut, replica of the lady's house with a window full of demonic looking dolls hailing a Mother Mary doll dressed in black, and gift shop, which sells stuff that looks like it was made in the 1960s. Lots of free literature too. It is nothing like those "Biblical Gardens" tourist attractions. There is one statue of Jesus hung on the cross with bloody cuts all over his body....a lot of the depictions are very violent. [Amanda Tollefson, 09/15/2002]

Necedah, Wisconsin - Virgin Mary Miracle Site

A shrine outside town where a local woman decided that the visions she had in the late 1950s were, in fact, a visitation from no less than the Blessed Virgin. She stirred up enough local believers to promote visits to the site and to incur the interest of the Milwaukee press, and in fact a mass viewing of some unexplained celestial phenomenon subsequently occurred, if newspaper accounts are to be believed. Application to the Catholic Church for verification of a genuine miracle has brought nothing but rebuttal of the validity of her claims. Nevertheless, enough donations have been culled to erect a gift shop and various religious dioramas on the site, and a chapel has been under construction there for some years. A sign outside the premises announces that the Blessed Virgin has no patience for women who wear "unfeminine attire" (i.e., pants of any kind); improperly-clothed women wishing to visit the site are loaned wrap skirts at the gate at no charge. [Joseph Holly, 12/10/1999]