Jan. 16, 2000

If you build it, tourists and pilgrims will come.
"A shrine acts like a beacon for people to come and find peace and tranquillity," said the Rev. Cyril Guise, prior of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill near Mil waukee. "I'm sure this shrine Bishop (Raymond) Burke is putting together will have a terrific impact."

The Rev. Tom Thompson at the University of Dayton (Ohio), an expert on Marian Catholic shrines and pilgrimages, doesn't believe the shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse will be just another shrine.

"Although other churches claim to be the national shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, once completed, this church would certainly merit the title," Thompson said.

"We think it has the potential for significant tourism impact," said Tom Tourville, executive director of the La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The bureau hasn't assessed what the full impact of the pro ject might be, but Tourville said he hopes to meet soon with La Crosse diocesan Bishop Ray mond L. Burke to obtain more details.

"It looks interesting," Tourville said. "It would be like an attraction. It would be an attraction with a wide range and appeal."

Tourville said he doesn't see any negative aspects to the project and believes the shrine would be very popular with peo ple.

"Most of the well-supported and well-substantiated shrines do extremely well," he said.

The Mary of the Angels Chapel in St. Rose Convent in La Crosse is very popular with visi tors, Tourville said. He said the convention bureau works with 250 to 300 motorcoach tours between April and October and most of them include St. Rose as a stop.

Sister Maria Friedman, communications director for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, said the chapel had more than 7,000 visitors last year.

The chapel, which is located in the FSPA motherhouse and administrative headquarters at Ninth and Market streets, is open from 1 to 3:30 p.m. daily or by appointment.

What's the appeal of spiritual sites?

"People are just wanting to touch something with some reli gion to it," said Jeanne Stan baugh, sales manager of the Terre Haute (Ind.) Convention and Visitors Bureau, which has a shrine nearby. "It just gets big ger and bigger every year."

La Crosse's $25 million shrine plans sound promising to other shrine and tourism officials.

"It sounds fabulous. Maybe we can send groups back and forth," said Cathleen Lindauer, director of Belleville (Ill.) Tourism. "That will make a huge impact on hotels and restaurants."

"It sounds like a pretty aggressive start," said Tom Mulhall, marketing director of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville.

"Any time you devote that amount of money and have quality people involved, it's going to be a benefit to the community," said David Patterson, executive director of the Terre Haute Con vention and Visitors Bureau.