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Events
The Walk to Mary Pilgrimage
01
May
2026
8:00 a
"I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same."
—Our Lady of Champion's words to Adele Brise
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Event in Summary
The Diocese of Winona-Rochester (DOW-R) is excited to send, for a second time, a group of religious and laity from our diocese to experience and participate in the Walk to Mary!
Date of Event
Friday, May 1 — Sunday, May 3, 2026
About the Walk to Mary
What is it? Why should I go?
The Walk to Mary is an annual, twenty-two-mile pilgrimage walk in Wisconsin. The pilgrimage begins at the National Shrine of St. Joseph located in St. Norbert College and ends at the only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States of America, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion. In 1859, Mary appeared to Adele Brise in Champion, Wisconsin instructing her to teach the Catholic faith to the children of the land. On this pilgrimage, pilgrims not only remember this beautifully simple Marian apparition, but they also journey spiritually with Joseph and Mary to witness their love and fidelity to Jesus Christ. People of diverse ages, races, and nationalities all come together to participate in this sacred experience.
Who can attend?
The Walk to Mary is open to people of all ages from our diocese. Anyone in our group who is age 17 and under must be accompanied by a parent(s) or guardian(s) for the entirety of the pilgrimage.
Notice: Should our pilgrimage group comprise of any minors (i.e. individuals who are 17 and under), then all adults (i.e. individuals who are 18 and older) must be VIRTUS certified. Any adults lacking VIRTUS training/certification will be provided with directions and resources on how to complete their VIRTUS certification process.
Registration and Cost for the Pilgrimage
Registration
Before you register for this pilgrimage, please carefully review our Walk to Mary Info Guide. This info guide will address, in detail, important matters related to the pilgrimage. Please also consider printing and sharing this resource with members of your parish community!
After reviewing the above info guide, you can register for the Walk to Mary pilgrimage by completing the online form found below or by visiting this link.
Registration Deadline
The deadline to register for the Walk to Mary pilgrimage is Sunday, March 1st, 2026. Register now!
Cost
Here, at a glance, is the registration costs for the pilgrimage based on age:
- Adults (Ages 18 - Up): $300
- Teenagers (Ages 13 - 17): $150
- Children (Ages 5 - 12): $10
- Infants & Toddlers (Ages 0 - 4): Free
Notice: The registration cost for the pilgrimage covers the bus fee, gas and mileage, certain meals, and our pilgrimage group's t-shirt order and registration with the Walk to Mary organization. The cost for a pilgrim's hotel room is separate from the registration cost. Please refer to the Walk to Mary Info Guide for specific details about the cost for a hotel room.
Early Bird Registration Discount: A registration discount (see below) is being offered to all adults and teenagers who register for the pilgrimage by Thursday, January 1st, 2026. After this deadline, the registration costs above for all adults and teenagers will go into effect.
- Adults (Ages 18 - Up): $220
- Teenagers (Ages 13 - 17): $100
Cancellation and Refund Policy for the Pilgrimage
We understand conflicts arise, and sometimes pilgrims, for various reasons, will be unable to commit to the Walk to Mary pilgrimage. Cancelations should be promptly submitted via email to Brian Hansen (bhansen@dowr.org), our diocese's Adult and Lay Formation Coordinator. If a pilgrim chooses to cancel their participation in the pilgrimage, they must then know and understand our pilgrimage's Cancellation and Refund Policy (see below):
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Cancelations submitted before March 31 will receive a full refund of their registration fee.
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Cancelations occurring between April 1 – 13 will receive a 50% refund of their registration fee.
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Cancelations on or after April 14 will, unfortunately, not receive any refund of their registration fee.