Nov. 10, 2004

A warmer than usual fall has helped keep construction on track for the church at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Justin Road, off Hwys. 14/61 on La Crosse's far South Side.

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke blesses the Rosary Walk at the Shrine of Our Lady Guadalupe. Erik Daily

"The basement foundations are two-thirds to three-fourths completed," said Andrew Brannon, the shrine finance director.

The next step will be the pouring of the concrete floor for the church, he said. "Their goal is to get that poured (this fall) because that protects everything."

Construction of the $16 million to $17 million blufftop church is expected to continue throughout 2005 and into 2006, Brannon said. The completion date will depend on weather and other factors, including funding, he said.

A related project, the construction of 14 Stations of the Cross above the paved path to the church site, is expected to be completed in time for a Dec. 9 dedication ceremony, Brannon said. The date is tentative and hinges on whether the bronze reliefs for each station arrive in time. The bronzes are being made by a company in Philadelphia.

St. Louis Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, who founded the shrine while bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, will preside at the ceremony. The event is to be on the feast day of St. Juan Diego, the Indian peasant who in 1531 in Mexico City is believed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe.