Adele’s Life In Brief
Adele Brise (Brice) was born in Belgium in 1831. When she was 24, her parents made the decision to immigrate to America and settle in the new state of Wisconsin. Although hesitant, Adele was obedient to her parents, trusting that the Lord had a plan for her in the new world. In the fall of 1859, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Adele three times while she was walking through the woods. During the third apparition, The Blessed Virgin spoke to Adele and instructed her to “Offer her Communion for the conversion of sinners,” and to “Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.”
This message was the catalyst for the many years of Adele’s service to the people of the Northeast Wisconsin area. In humble obedience to Our Lady, Adele traveled within a 50-mile radius of her home, evangelizing and teaching children about God and preparing them for their first Holy Communion.
Through profound trust in Mary’s intercession, Adele bore heroic witness to miraculous events, including the preservation of the wooden Apparition Chapel that was in the direct path of the Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871, and the many graces received to assist in her mission.
Eventually, Adele founded a school with some local companions on the grounds where Mary appeared to her. There, they would care for the children and teach them the Catholic faith until she passed away in 1896. Her headstone reads, “Sacred Cross under thy shadow I rest and hope”
Adele’s Life in Full
A Story of Humble Obedience
Adele’s Early Life
Coming to America
Adele was born in Dion-le-Val, Belgium to Lambert and Catherine Brise on January 30, 1831. With her two sisters, Esperance and Isabelle, she lived a normal childhood. People described her as a cheerful, charasmatic child who lived a life full of zeal. When she was a young girl, Adele suffered from an accident with lye that left her blind in one eye. Despite this life-altering injury, she remained full of joy.
After receiving her first Holy Communion, Adele – so moved by the religious sisters who prepared her and her friends for the Sacrament – promised the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would join the same order and devote her life to teaching in the town of Champion, Belgium.
However, this dream was not fulfilled in the way she would expect, especially when she found out that her family would be immigrating to America. Upon seeking advice from a priest, she agreed to be obedient to her parents’ wishes and was confident in the hope that if God willed her to become a teacher, she would have that vocation in America.
After the six-week voyage to the United States, Adele and her family traveled to Northeast Wisconsin to join the largest Belgian settlement in the United States. The life for the Belgian settlers was very difficult and many fought for their lives through the harsh Wisconsin winters and rugged land. Adele diligently served her family by doing farm work and household chores. While settlers in that area were predominantly Catholic, many of them were loosing their faith and being taught herisies that were spreading around the area at that time.
Mary’s Apparition to Adele
A moment that changed her life.
One of Adele’s many household chores involved traveling along a long wooded trail to carry the family’s wheat to the grist mill. She knew this trail well and often used it to get around the dense Wisconsin woods. One fall day in 1859, Adele was walking along this same trail, carrying wheat for her family, when she saw a mysterious and beautiful lady surrounded by heavenly light and standing between a maple and hemlock tree. The woman was described as being dressed in dazzling white with a yellow sash around her waist, and having blond hair and 12 stars around her head.
In total, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Adele three times. On her final visit, October 9th, 1859, Our Lady introduced herself as the “Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners.” Her message to Adele was simple and clear. She asked Adele to offer her communion for the conversion of sinners and to gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation – specifically, their catechism, the sign of the cross, and how to approach the sacraments. The Queen of Heaven imparted a final message to Adele saying, “Go, and fear nothing, I will help you.”
This was the catalyst for Adele’s lifelong mission.
Adele’s Historic Mission
Obedience to Our Lady’s call.
Life was very difficult for the settlers in Northeast Wisconsin and religious devotion began to wane. Many settled far from churches where religious duties were neglected and the children would grow up without the knowledge of God. Following the Blessed Virgin’s apparition and call, Adele entered into this challenge with heroic virtue and unwavering confidence in the Lord’s plan.
She began going door-to-door – up to 25 miles a day – offering to teach the children about the faith. She would even offer to do household chores during the daytime so the children could have time to learn in the evening. By extension, the parents of these children would often listen to Adele’s lessons and grow in their love of the Lord as well.
With the encouragement of her priest, Adele gathered around her other women who would assist her in her teaching and begging missions. This group of women became third-order secular Franciscans, who wore a habit but did not take formal religious vows.
The Founding of a Schoolhouse.
Gather the children and teach them.
In 1864, Adele and her companions set up in a farmhouse not far from the wooden chapel that marked the location of Mary’s apparitions. Through the help of many local townspeople, a small school and convent was built of wood frame construction.
There, they centralized their apostolate to one location so children could live and learn there. However, life was still very challenging. The schoolhouse and the facilities were known to have food shortages and parents often would drop their children off and not pay their bills. Adele kept her faith and would ask her fellow companions to pray a novena for their intentions. Every time, the Lord in His graciousness, gave them what they needed.
At one point the diocese received a new bishop who, although he knew nothing personally of Adele and her activities, had heard about vendors creating a rowdy atmosphere right outside of the boundaries of the holy property. The bishop decided that, until he had time to fully investigate, it was best to close the school and the chapel until further notice. He demanded that Adele bring him the keys to the schoolhouse and chapel to officially close its doors.
In humble obedience, Adele gave the keys to the Bishop as soon as she could. When she handed him the keys she reminded him of his responsibility for the souls of those children, especially since they would be lacking their religious instruction. Impressed by her zeal and sincerity, the Bishop returned the keys to her immediately and counseled her to continue her good work.
Her Faith Amidst Trials
The Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871
While many people ridiculed Adele and challenged her belief, there was no bigger trial than October of 1871.
On the evening of October 8, the largest and deadliest fire in the history of the United States was making its way towards Adele and the little wooden chapel that marked the spot of Mary’s apparitions. In an act of faith, Adele stayed in the chapel and prayed the rosary. Many locals, seeing the flames approach, fled to the chapel as well. During the night, they prayed the rosary together and processed around the sacred site with a statue of Mary. They had faith in the saving love of Jesus and the powerful intercession of His Blessed Mother. Early the next morning – the anniversary of the Blessed Mother’s final apparition to Adele – the fire was extinguished. Miraculously, the entire chapel, its grounds, and all those who were on the sacred site were preserved.
Fr. Peter Pernin, who wrote a historical account of the devastating fire, described the scene: “After hours of horror and suspense, the heavens sent relief in the form of a downpour. The fervent prayers to the Mother of God were heard. The fire was extinguished, but dawn revealed the ravages wrought by the conflagration. Everything about them was destroyed; miles of desolation everywhere. But the convent, school, and chapel on the holy land consecrated to the Virgin Mary shone like an emerald isle in a sea of ashes.”
Promises Made, Promises Kept
Champion, Belgium, to Champion, Wisconsin
Adele and her companions continued to teach and catechize the children long after the horrors of the fire. Their presence and influence had a lasting effect on the people of Northeast Wisconsin, especially within the Belgian community of the Door County Penninsula.
This influence even was helpful when the town where Adele lived and did her ministry work decided to change its name. It is recalled that when the community asked Adele what the new town’s name should be, she requested “Champion.” A nod to her promise given to the Blessed Mother to serve in Champion, Belgium. Although Adele was no longer in Belgium, she was able to fufill her promise in Champion, Wisconsin. The name of the town to this day is Champion.
Adele Brise died on July 5th, 1896, and is buried in the cemetery located near the Apparition Chapel of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion. On her headstone is inscribed the disposition of her life: “Sacred Cross Under thy Shadow I Rest and Hope.”
Adele lived a life of zeal and love of God and His Blessed Mother. Her response to the mission given to her by Our Blessed Mother provides a beautiful example for living and carrying out the evangelistic vocation God gives us, each and every day of our lives.
Adele’s Life
An Example for Us All Today
Obedience
Adele demonstrated heroic obedience – to her family, to her priests in leadership, to Our Lady, and ultimately to Our Lord and His Will for her. She is an example of submission to and recognition of an Authority higher than oneself.
Freedom from Idleness
Adele, who was recognized by others as living a life of faith, was still instructed by Our Lady not to stand in idleness but rather to “Go” out and do more. From that point forward, Adele earnestly went about her mission and stepped foot into the “wild country.” She is a model for us in responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives and rejecting the temptation to be idle in one’s vocation, spiritual life, and relationship with God.
Catechesis and the New Evangelization
Despite Adele’s lack of “education” or “ability,” she went out, overcame obstacles, and taught the children by forming friendships with them and trusting in Our Lady’s guidance to help her. She is an example for us, especially catechists and teachers, not to allow fear or ignorance of our faith to stop us from doing what is necessary to pass our faith to the next generations.
