Church of Our Lady of the Snows
Our Blessed Mother continues to be a model of great faith, a woman who accepted God’s will in her life despite the many trials and challenges, despite times of great uncertainty and great sorrow. This year alone has given us many challenges, uncertainty and sorrows. Join us for these nine special nights of prayer, and find hope knowing that despite all of the obstacles and pain Mary endured, God was always with her, as God remains with us.
Here is the schedule of Celebrants and preachers for each night of the Novena.
Mass nightly at 7:30 p.m. Central Time, Church of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL
“With Mary, Giving Thanks to God”
2021 Themes and Presiders
Wednesday, July 28: Mary, a Dwelling of God
Focus: God makes His dwelling with us through Jesus and Mary.
Presider: Rev. Mark Dean, OMI
King’s House Retreat Center, Belleville, IL
Thursday, July 29: Mary, Mother of Our Savior
Focus: The Lord hears the cry of the poor and sends His help from heaven.
Presider: Rev. James Deiters
Pastor, St. Clare of Assisi Church, O’Fallon, IL
Friday, July 30: Mary, Intercessor For All Our Trials and Fears
Focus: Through selfless intercession, God shines His face on his people.
Presider: Rev. Jesse Esqueda, OMI
Superior, Oblate Tijuana Mission
Saturday, July 31: Mary, Sign of Our Health, Healing and Divine Hope
Includes Anointing of the Sick
Focus: The suffering servant will receive God’s blessings.
Presider: Very Rev. Louis Studer, OMI
Provincial, United State Province
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Sunday, August 1: Mary, Refuge of Sinners and Mother of Reconciliation
Focus: God reconciled the world through Christ. Christ reconciled us to God.
Presider: Most Rev. Michael McGovern
Bishop, Diocese of Belleville, IL
Monday, August 2: Mary, Model of Hospitality to God’s People
Focus: Let your virtues be a blessing to others and show hospitality to those in need.
Presider: Very Rev. John Iffert
Vicar General, Diocese of Belleville, IL
Tuesday, August 3: Mary, In Union with the Father and Her Son Jesus
Focus: The Lord is in our midst and we are one with Him.
Presider: Msgr. William Hitpas
Pastor, St. Nicholas Parish, O’Fallon, IL
Wednesday, August 4: Mary, Perpetually Directing Us to Life in Jesus
Focus: As water sustains us, so will the blessings from the Lord.
Presider: Msgr. Carl Scherrer
Pastor, Immaculate Conception Church, Columbia, IL
Thursday, August 5: Mary, A Sign of God’s Promise to His People
(Feast of Our Lady of the Snows)
Focus: The Lord said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
Presider: Fr. David Uribe, OMI
Director, Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
Our Blessed Mother continues to be a model of great faith, a woman who accepted God’s will in her life despite the many trials and challenges, despite times of great uncertainty and great sorrow. This year alone has given us many challenges, uncertainty and sorrows. Join us for these nine special nights of prayer, and find hope knowing that despite all of the obstacles and pain Mary endured, God was always with her, as God remains with us.
All nine Novena Masses will be livestreamed and recorded.
Each evening will close with praying the rosary as a community, with an outdoor procession with the statue of Our Lady .
For more information, please contact Heather Miller, Coordinator of Music and Liturgy,hmiller@snows.org or (618) 394-6276
A History of the Devotion to Our Lady of the Snows and the Annual Novena
Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome
Usually, when one talks about devotion to the Mother of Jesus under a particular title, there is a link, either to one of Mary’s qualities (Sorrowful Mother, Mother of Mercy) or to one of her apparitions (Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Guadalupe). Devotion to Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Snows is one of the oldest devotions to Mary. It has direct ties to the legend about a marvelous snowfall in Rome in 352 A.D. Mary had indicated in a dream to a wealthy, childless Roman couple that she wanted a church built in her honor and the site for this church would be covered with snow. On a hot, sultry morning on August 5, Esquiline Hill was covered with snow. All Rome proclaimed the summer snows a miracle, and a church to honor Mary was built on the hill in 358 A.D. Restored and refurbished many times, this church, now the magnificent Basilica of St. Mary Major, still stands today as the seat of devotion to Our Lady of the Snows in the Catholic Church. However, Our Lady of the Snows is honored here, not so much because of the legend, but because of her special role in the Church that is by its very nature, missionary. The
Fr. Paul Schulte, OMI
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate – the congregation of priests and brothers who operate this Shrine – following the inspiration of their founder, St. Eugene de Mazenod – have always called on Mary as their principal patroness, one who looks upon their missionary efforts with a mother’s love.
Devotion to Our Lady of the Snows in the Midwest
The devotion to Our Lady of the Snows was first introduced to the midwest in 1941 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Fr. Paul Schulte, O.M.I., known as “the flying priest of the Arctic,” was a pilot who brought medical aid and supplies to remote Oblate missions, particularly north of the Arctic Circle. He developed a strong personal devotion to Our Lady of the Snows while working in the Oblate missions, and built a small chapel in her honor.
Devotion to Our Lady of the Snows at St. Henry’s
Fr. Paul Schulte, O.M.I., commissioned the famous artist, J. Watson Davis, to paint a picture of Our Lady of the Snows. Davis depicted an Oblate missionary and his airplane on a sick call to an Inuit (Eskimo) mission with Our Lady appearing surrounded by rays of the Northern Lights.
Following his ministry in the Arctic, Fr. Schulte came to reside at St. Henry’s Seminary in Belleville, Illinois. The painting of Our Lady of the Snows was hung in the seminary chapel.
At that time, Fr. Schulte and Fr. Edwin Guild, O.M.I., began to develop the Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate and to foster devotion to the Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of the Snows. In April of 1943, the perpetual novena to Our Lady of the Snows was begun.
The first Solemn Outdoor Novena was held in 1951, the final day being celebrated on August 5, the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows. The Novena became an annual event which soon attracted thousands each year. The painting of Our Lady of the Snows was given a place of prominence in the new chapel at St. Henry’s. Today, the J. Watson Davis painting is displayed in the Visitors Center Lobby at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows.
The Ideal Location
As devotion to Our Lady of the Snows grew, the Oblates decided to look for a location for a shrine to be built in her honor. The search for a suitable site ended
Fr. Edwin Guild, OMI oversaw construction of the Shrine and was its first Director
in February, 1958 with the purchase of 80 acres of farmland on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River Valley. It seemed an ideal location for the proposed National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows.
A newly formed Layman’s Association enabled lay men and women to take an active part in the development of the Shrine. The purchase of 20 additional acres became a reality through the generosity and dedication of the association. In the summer of 1958, work on the Shrine began.
It was important that the Shrine be an exceptional example of modern architecture, and that the devotional sites be strategically placed throughout the Shrine’s acreage. The landscape architect, Emmet Layton, enhanced the natural beauty of the site by directing the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers at carefully selected spots.
Main Shrine and Amphitheatre
Who Are the Oblates
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is one of the largest religious congregations in the world. Their mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Founded in France by St. Eugene de Mazenod in the year 1816, the order has grown to 4,000 priests and brothers today serving in 60 countries around the globe.
Oblates first arrived in North America in 1841. Referred to as the Cavalry of Christ, they often rode horseback as a means of travel while establishing missions in this untamed land. While their primary dedication will always be of a spiritual calling, they reach out to those in need of physical, emotional and or spiritual support through their sincere acts of charity.
