Affiliations 
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore & The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Saint Mary Major – Rome
In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI affiliated the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major) in Rome, the great pilgrimage church of the Eternal City dedicated to the honor of the Mother of God.
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Mexico City
In 2021, the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization affiliated the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
This affiliation with the Basilica in Mexico City is especially important because not all pilgrims, especially those of Mexican nationality, have the occasion or possibility to make a pilgrimage each year back to their country of origin. For many Mexican people residing in the United States of America, it is a great help to be able to fulfill the promise by making a pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Shrine in La Crosse rather than to the Shrine of Our Lady in Mexico City.
“Affiliation” means…
“…that when making the traditional pilgrimage to venerate the Virgin of Guadalupe at the Shrine of La Crosse, instead of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, the same spiritual benefits be obtained.”
— From the official letter from the Vatican
Read the Official Letter from the Vatican
Read the Official Letter from the Vatican – Affiliation to Saint Mary Major
Spiritual Benefits
Plenary indulgence – the entire remission of temporal punishment due to sin
One special blessing available for pilgrims is that, at the Shrine, there are numerous occasions to gain a plenary indulgence. Some of those occasions occur on certain days.
Occasions for plenary indulgence at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
- August 5: The Patronal Feast Day of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major
- December 12: The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Shrine’s Patronal Feast Day
- All Solemnities of the the Virgin Mary
Learn more about receiving a plenary indulgence as a pilgrim by visiting our Plenary Indulgences page
Explore Our Grounds
The Pilgrim Center
Begin your Pilgrimage with the resources you need. Within the Pilgrim Center, you will find the Culina Mariana Café and Flores Mariae Gift Shop.
The Shrine Church
Memorial to the Unborn
The Memorial to the Unborn provides a means of memorializing unborn children and providing a place of spiritual healing and closure for parents, relatives, and friends.
Votive Candle Chapel
The Votive Candle Chapel expresses the unfailing intercession of our Blessed Mother on our behalf. Learn how you can light one of the chapel’s 700 candles!
Devotional Areas
Enhance your pilgrimage by experiencing multiple spiritual destinations.
The Grounds
Cardinal Burke’s vision for a place of pilgrimage is accomplished through the Shrine’s unique layout across 70 acres of beautiful Wisconsin hills.
Art & Architecture
See some of the sacred Art & Architecture, and learn about the deeper meaning behind the Shrine’s design.
Virtual Pilgrimage
Enjoy the beauty of the Shrine in different seasons.
