Special Coverage of Our Lady of the Prairie
by Deacon Ryan C. Pope
Prairie Catholic correspondent
The final day of the 2025 Diocese of New Ulm Pilgrimage of Hope (June 22-29) culminated with a Welcome Home Celebration at the Church of St. Mary in New Ulm.
The pilgrimage, a time to ask for Our Lady’s intercession, began on June 22 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm, following the rededication of the diocese to Our Lady of the Prairie by Bishop Chad Zielinski. The 8-day, nearly 90-mile pilgrimage, undertaken on foot and at times by car, touched every Area Faith Community in the diocese; it was framed at its beginning and end with consecrations to the diocese’s new patroness, Our Lady of the Prairie. As the image of Our Lady traveled with the pilgrims through the rural landscape leading to 20 parishes in the diocese, it was an opportunity for the Christian faithful to gather in palpable communion, worshipping Christ and experiencing a connection that only Our Lady of the Prairie herself could orchestrate.
Welcome Home Celebration
After a week of pilgrimage, it became clear to the pilgrims what Our Lady’s message was to every person in the diocese. Leonard Gutierrez summed it up by saying, “You are close and cherished by God and Our Lady. You are fully known and wanted, and you can share your life with them.” Leonard is the director of the diocesan Office of Evangelization and was instrumental in coordinating and supporting the pilgrimage. The extreme heat, winds, and rains throughout the days of the pilgrimage did not deter the pilgrims from bringing Christ and Our Lady to the 18 Area Faith Communities in the diocese. The pilgrims’ perseverance in the face of extreme adversity was truly inspiring. “Walking in the rain was no mere coincidence during several of our days. It was clear in our interactions with parishioners that what God was doing in the hearts of each was big and transformative. The rain made us increasingly aware of the abundance of graces. Our Lady was asking Our Lord to send down grace upon us all with each drop,” Gutierrez said.
“Allow our Mother to love us and care for us”
During the Welcome Hope Celebration, perpetual pilgrim Aleah Vetsch from the Holy Family Area Faith Community shared her testimony of profound growth in fellowship with each pilgrim and with the parishioners of all the faith communities visited along the way. More importantly, she discerned from the pilgrimage to “Allow Our Mother to love us and care for us, and to share that love with others through love and care.”
New Ulm diocese seminarian and perpetual pilgrim Matthew Collins from the Saint Isidore the Farmer Area of Faith Community quipped with a smile that he walked the pilgrimage “Simply because I was asked.”
Collins said that he used the pilgrimage to discern why he said ‘Yes’ [to the priesthood] and said he found it to be an honor to share in the prayer intentions of parishioners of each community along the pilgrimage route.
For the miles and miles of prairie land that the pilgrims covered on foot, it is a wonder that they were able to kneel and genuflect at the parish prayer gatherings. However, the overall consensus from the pilgrims was that fatigue, pain, and sores were all offered for the greater purpose of sharing Christ and Our Lady through the pilgrimage. Following a 17-mile walk in one day, Collins shared, “As I was carrying the replica of Our Lady’s image, she brought hope to me as I walked. Just as she carried Jesus, she carried me, and I was privileged to bring that hope and carry it to all the diocese.”
“Our Lady - a reminder of your consecration”
The Consecration to Our Lady of the Prairie “is not merely a formality but lived out in the heart and mind of each of us,” Archbishop Emeritus Allen Vigneron said in a keynote address at the Welcome Home Celebration. “The Consecration to Our Lady of the Prairie is a consecration to the son of Our Lady of the Prairie… This consecration will be a living and dynamic reality, an overflowing font of grace, to the degree that it is lived out by each of you,” the former archbishop of Detroit said.
The archbishop talked about how in our Baptismal consecration, our Lord Jesus takes possession of us and we, in turn, take possession of him through mutual self-gift, so too does the consecration of the diocese, of its parishes, of its priests and religious, and of all the Christian faithful to Our Lady of Prairie. “Offer the Lord Jesus, who has consecrated himself as a gift to you, the gift you want to give back to him through Our Lady of the Prairie. Not just some gift in general, but what is most personal, most precious to you,” encouraged the archbishop.
He continued, “In ascribing to the Mother of God the title ‘Our Lady of the Prairie’ you have taken what is most your own, the prairie – what shapes and sustains your lives here in south and west central Minnesota – and placed it into her possession,” sharing how this consecration is specifically for us, as the people of the Diocese of New Ulm. “From our heart to his Sacred Heart, each of you can own the consecration made by all of you.” Archbishop Vigneron went on to say, “Know of the prayers of the sisters and brothers around you. Be mindful of them. Remember to lift them up in your prayer, especially those who, unknown to you, rely on your solidarity in prayer in order to receive the graces they need to win the struggle they face in a time of testing.”
In conclusion, Archbishop Vigneron urged, “And be resolved that every time in the days ahead you see this icon of Our Lady of the Prairie, whether at church or in your home, it will be a reminder of your consecration and an invitation to renew it.”
New Ulm’s bishop, Bishop Chad Zielinski, addressed the inception of the image of Our Lady of the Prairie and noted his heartfelt gratitude for the talent of the painting’s creator, artist Damien Walker of The Studio of Saint Philomena in New Zealand. Walker was present in the diocese during the days of the pilgrimage and at times walked alongside the pilgrims including 6 miles in the rain. On June 25, Walker delivered an evening presentation at the Church of St. Mary in Willmar where he spoke about the painting, addressing the specific symbols within the art.
“…She revealed herself through the paintbrush!” Walker exclaimed, referring to his handiwork. “She is your image. She is for you! She is your Mother. She is not just here as a painting; it is she who revealed herself through the paintbrush. She sees you and knows you, and she wants to lead you to Christ through love of Christ.”
The Diocese of New Ulm’s Pilgrimage of Hope has proved to be a profound journey of faith, unity, and devotion for the diocesan family. Through the consecration to Our Lady of the Prairie, it is Bishop Zielinski’s hope that parishioners, clergy and religious, and pilgrims alike have experienced a deepened connection to Christ and to one another. The pilgrimage has not only celebrated the rich traditions and faith of our parish communities in this prairie we call home, but has also fostered a renewed sense of hope and commitment to living out the example of Our Mother and her Son, Jesus Christ.
As Damien Walker noted, “you can’t have Christ without His Mother and His Mother without Christ.” May we continue to reflect on this sacred journey, and carry forward the blessings and graces received, always remembering the powerful intercession of Our Lady of the Prairie and the unwavering love of Christ her son.