WISCONSIN DELLS — On August 23, St. Cecilia Church in Wisconsin Dells, part of St. John Paul II Pastorate, had a Mass in honor of its 10-year anniversary. 

The new church building was dedicated on August 28, 2016.

The celebratory event also included the installation of a relic of St. John Paul II, and the blessing of the newly restored outdoor shrine of Our Lady of the Dells. 

“Ten years ago, these walls were consecrated and set apart for the worship of God alone,” said Fr. Paul Ugo Arinze, parochial administrator of St. John Paul II Pastorate. 

“To celebrate this anniversary is to remember that a church building is never just brick and mortar — it is a living sign of God’s presence among His people. I am grateful for every family who has prayed, wept, celebrated, and grown in Faith within these walls over the past decade.”

“A parish church tells the story of its people,” said Father Ugo Arinze. 

“Ten years of baptisms, first Communions, weddings, and funerals have been written into the life of St. Cecilia Church, and today we give thanks to God for all of it.”

Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison was present to celebrate the Mass and the two blessings.

One of the blessings held on August 23 was the blessing of a permanent housing in the church for the relic of St. John Paul II.

“Having a relic of St. John Paul II available for public veneration is an extraordinary grace for our parish,” said Father Ugo Arinze. 

“He is a saint who taught the whole world not to be afraid — and now his presence, in this small but profound way, will accompany our parishioners every time they walk through these doors.”

St. John Paul II is a saint beloved to many, especially the Polish community. 

It was through the efforts of Parochial Vicar Fr. Piotr Janas, SChr, who is originally from Poland, that the pastorate initially acquired the relic of St. John Paul II.

There was also a blessing and rededication of the newly restored shrine of Our Lady of the Dells.

The statue of Mary, named Our Lady of the Dells, was originally donated by Dr. C.F. Broderick and his wife, Ruth. 

Crafted by an Italian sculptor, the beautiful marble image found a home at the center of an outdoor shrine, dedicated in 1955.

However, during construction of the new church, the outdoor shrine had to be dismantled, and the statue was placed in the basement for storage. 

While there was originally intent to restore the shrine, funding became a problem, and the statue remained in the basement.

It was through the initiative of Tim Borden, maintenance supervisor for St. Cecilia Church, that the statue was restored to a new outdoor shrine. 

Knowing the statue was in the basement, and having encountered relatives of the original donors trying to visit the image, the hope that it could be restored was on his mind.

“One night, I had a dream, and she told me where she wanted to go,” said Borden.

“I took it at that point, I mean, that was just a dream, right? [But] I thought, ‘You know, that’d be pretty cool.’ So then I had to tell Fr. John [Blewett, SJS] about it, one of our priests here . . . So I brought him out here to the spot, and he’s just like, ‘Tim, you gotta do this . . . it’d be perfect.’ . . .  ‘Well, yeah, great,’ I said, ‘But we don’t have the money for it.’ He goes, ‘Anything you do for the Blessed Mother, I guarantee it, we’ll get the money; it’ll come.’” 

About a month went by, and Borden shared his thoughts with a coworker, who found some old postcards of the original shrine. 

On August 28, she looked at the postcards and discovered, reading the back, that it was the exact same date the shrine was originally dedicated — August 28, 1955. 

It was also the same day the new church had been dedicated in 2016.

Borden felt prompted to act, but there was still the question of funding.

Then he was approached by the Knights of Columbus. A knight who had died had left around $30,000 for the purpose of some kind of project for the Church.

As they were planning on merging with the Knights of Columbus Council in Baraboo, the St. Cecilia Council — named for Our Lady of the Dells in the 1950s when it was formed — wanted to build the shrine.

They began to make plans, looking at how they could build it and what it would cost.

“Once we got it all in order, then we approached [the parochial administrator] about it,” said Borden. Father Ugo Arinze gave permission.

Placing the statue in the vestibule of the church, they invited donations from parishioners. 

The funds they needed were raised within two weeks.

An outdoor shrine, taking inspiration from the original design, was constructed, intended to last as long as the new church.

Located on the church grounds, right at the corner of two streets, it is a place of grace for the parish and beyond.

“When they asked me to come work here, I was a little distance [from] the Blessed Mother. But I’m not [now],” said Borden.

“She’s got a plan, you know what I mean? I’m glad to be part of it,” said Borden.

The lovely shrine hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

“She’s in a beautiful spot,” said Borden. “People walk through here; it’s amazing, they just stop. And they ask questions; they want to know what it’s about, you know, ‘Who is she?’ Neighbor people [ask] ‘Hey, can we sit there?’, I say ‘Yeah,’ they say ‘Well, why’d you build it?’ . . . I say, ‘I built it for you.’”

Bishop Hying rededicated the shrine, and plaques on either side of the statue now honor both the original dedication, in 1955, and the rededication in 2026.

The parish also had a reception on August 23, celebrating their new church building and the ways in which God has acted in it these last 10 years.

“I am especially grateful to Bishop Donald J. Hying for officiating at our Mass, and to Fr. Eric Sternberg, the pastor who oversaw the building of this church and whose legacy we continue to celebrate today. I thank everyone — parishioners, clergy, and friends of St. Cecilia — who made this celebration possible, and I ask Our Lady and St. John Paul II to continue interceding for our parish family,” said Father Ugo Arinze.