National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows located Belleville, IL, near St. Louis is one of the largest outdoor Marian Shrines in the United States. The Shrine is operated by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The Oblates are a Catholic order of priests and brothers who follow the example of the Blessed Mother striving to do God’s Will in serving the poor in more than 70 countries.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows grounds lay across the hills of southern Illinois. They consist of the Church, the King’s House retreat center, several devotional sites, a shop and a Benedictine Living Center.
Retreat center and ‘museum’
The Devotional Areas
The Lourdes Grotto
Located in a beautiful, wooded area, the Lourdes Grotto was among the first devotional sites completed at the Shrine. It is a replica of the famed Lourdes Grotto in France where Our Lady appeared in 1858 to a young, peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous.
Our Lady of Guadeloupe Hill
Our Lady of Guadalupe Hill, located behind the Annunciation Garden, depicts the appearance of the Blessed Mother to Juan Diego, a recent convert to Christianity, at Tepeyac Hill in Mexico in 1531. This site, dedicated in 2005, honors Mary under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Shrine and Ampitheatre
The 16′ fiberglass statue of Our Lady of the Snows stands beneath the symbolic dove and before a tongue of fire. She is surrounded by a chalice, symbolizing her role as Christ’s Mother. Her gown is designed in the form of a Calla Lily, a symbol of purity. She holds the Christ Child up and forward, presenting her Son to the world.
Rosary Mysteries (under the Shrine)
Joyful and Glorious Mysteries
Annunciation Garden
The Annunciation Garden stands majestically on a hill overlooking the Main Shrine. The larger-than-life sculptures of the Blessed Virgin and the Angel Gabriel are mounted on a stone wall. It is located at the highest elevation of the Shrine, affording a panoramic view of much of the Shrine property.
Each hour is dramatically marked by the tolling of four large bells installed in a reflection pool. A fountain placed in the center of the pool enhances the refreshing setting.
Way of the Cross
The Shrine’s Way of the Cross enables persons to participate in this devotional tradition amidst a grove of evergreens and pines. Visitors follow the fourteen Stations of the Cross along a half-mile roadway.
Resurrection Garden
The Resurrection Garden is located directly across the road from the last station of the Way of the Cross. Some call it the 15th Station of the Cross-Christ’s glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
A concrete pathway leads the visitor up to and around the Resurrection Cave that resembles a giant stone. The cave is hollowed out on one side, revealing a cut geode, with a tomb-like vacant slab representing the Risen Christ.
A continuously burning flame reminds us of the everlasting life that Christ has promised us. Circling the Resurrection Cave are geode-shaped rocks that depict the appearances of Christ to the Apostles and others after His Resurrection.
Lastly, the Millennium Spire.
Pope John Paul II urged us to prepare for the Great Jubilee 2000 as a time full of hope, “a new springtime of Christianity.” In response to the Pope’s call, an 85′ tall Millennium Spire was constructed and rises out of a Candelarium built at the top of the hill overlooking the Shrine’s Amphitheatre.
Thousands of prayer requests, in the form of votive candles, light up the base of the Spire.
