The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows

Snowcake

The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows name refers to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, where legend says snow fell in the summertime. Its a Catholic  shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The shrine is not part of the Belleville diocese but is operated by the United States Province of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

It is one of the largest outdoor shrines in the United States. The Shrine provides plenty of devotional places including a church, an outdoor amphitheater, Stations of the  Cross, a Resurrection Garden, a depiction of the Lourdes Grotto, an Annunciation Garden and a site for Our Lady of Guadalupe.

There are plenty of accomadations for vistors from near or far. There's a restaurant, a hotel, an apartment complex for retired persons, a residence for the Oblates, a  visitors center, and gift shop.

During the Christmas holiday the Shrine hosts the "Way of Lights", an outdoor light display that features over 1.1 million white lights. I think we saw the skelton beginnings of the set up of the lights.

Cake artist - April Morrison

One hundred-forty down 110 to go.