On January 30, Bishop David Ricken will formally open the cause of Adele Brice, the visionary of Our Lady of Champion. On what would have been Adele’s 195th birthday, the Green Bay bishop will declare her a Servant of God, the first official stage on the path to canonization.
Fr. Anthony Stephens, CPM, the Rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady Champion, wrote that the promulgation of the Decree to open the Cause will take place during Solemn Vespers at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay, and will be open to the public.
“For generations,” he writes, “countless pilgrims have come to her grave to pray for her intercession, hoping that one day she would be honored on earth as a saint. This sacred act marks the official beginning of a long and prayerful journey toward sainthood, a journey rarely undertaken in the United States and unprecedented in the history of the Diocese of Green Bay.”
The opening of her cause follows quickly after Bishop Ricken’s request to the faithful in late December to submit any helpful information they might have to advance the cause for canonization of Adele. This request is a requirement in the universal Church before a Cause can be officially opened.
Who is Adele?
Adele was an immigrant to the United States from Belgium. She was born January 30, 1831, and died on July 5, 1896. She is buried near the Champion Shrine in Wisconsin. Adele was 24 years old when she arrived in Wisconsin with her parents from Belgium in 1855.
On Sunday, October 2, 1859, Adele was walking home through the woods when she saw a woman clothed in white standing between the trees. The following Sunday, Adele was on her way to Mass with her sister and another woman when she saw the apparition a second time. Her sister and friend, who were walking a bit ahead of her, did not see anything.
As Adele returned from Mass, the Lady appeared to her for the third time.
See more about the apparition here.
What does the "opening of a cause" mean?
Canonization is the Church’s official declaration that a man or woman is a saint in heaven, a determination that the Church makes only after extensive study. This study and its various steps are referred to as the "cause" for canonization.
In May of 2024, the Postulator -- the person who guides a cause along -- Dr. Valentina Culurgioni formally petitioned the local bishop to open a cause for beautification and canonization for Adele Brice.
Canonization processes begin with an investigation on the diocesan level, looking at the individual’s life, impact, and virtue in the place where he or she lived or worked. As a prerequisite for the cause to be opened, Bishop Ricken first requested and received consent (which was unanimous) from the US bishops' conference in June 2024 to move forward.
In October of 2025, the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints issued a Nil Obstat (no obstacle), in essence declaring that they found nothing standing in the way of the Cause.
Once the request was made for information from the faithful, Bishop Ricken was then free to officially open her cause.
What happens next?
At the end of the month, Adele will be declared a Servant of God and the investigation into her life will continue on a diocesan level. This investigation will include the testimonies shared by the faithful.
If the bishop believes that there is enough evidence from the investigation to conclude that Adele lived a life of heroic virtue, this information will be sent on to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
Ultimately, the Holy Father can then decide whether or not the evidence demonstrates that her cause can move forward to the next phase.
Fr. Stephens’ invitation no doubt extends not only to those able to be present in person, but also those there in spirit as the visionary of Champion takes this next step towards sainthood:
I warmly invite you to be present for this historic moment to pray, to witness, and to join the Church as this cause is officially entrusted to God. What a beautiful birthday gift it would be to the humble Belgian immigrant to whom Mary entrusted her mission: to fill the Cathedral with prayer for her cause and to continue praying throughout this journey.
