ALLOUEZ, WI — Visit Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Dion-le-Val and Leuven in a first-ever pilgrimage to walk in the steps of Servant of God Adele Brice, whose cause for canonization is unprecedented in the history of the Diocese of Green Bay, from October 10-20, 2026.
Bishop David Ricken, the 12th bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, will serve as spiritual director for the On Mission trip, in cooperation with Mater Dei Tours. Fr. Matt Simonar, pastor of Nativity of Our Lord Parish, Green Bay, and Fr. Alvan Amadi, pastor of SS. Peter and Paul, Holy Rosary and St. Ann Parishes, New Holstein/Kiel, will serve as co-chaplains. Juan Landa of Mater Dei Tours will join as the pilgrimage director, and Amy Kawula, marketing and operations manager at the Diocese of Green Bay, will serve as the pilgrimage host.
Pilgrims will depart from Chicago for Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday, October 10.
The following day, the group will travel to Bruges, a picturesque city known for its medieval architecture, charming canals, and cobblestone streets. It is the capital of West Flanders with a historic center that is a prominent UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sunday Mass will be held at the Basilica of the Holy Blood, with silent prayer to follow before The Holy Blood of Jesus.
That evening, there will be a welcome-to-Belgium dinner with all pilgrims.
On Monday, October 12, pilgrims will enjoy a fabulous walking city tour of Bruges’ architecture and churches, including visits to St. Saviour’s Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, where Michelangelo’s “Mother and Child” is housed. Holy Mass will be celebrated at St. Jacques Church.
A memorable Canal Tour of Bruges will come after lunch, with leisure time during the remainder of the day.
The next day, the group will travel to Antwerp, a vibrant city in Belgium’s Flanders region, known for its rich history, diverse culture, and its port, one of the largest ports in the world. Antwerp is the third-largest municipality in Belgium by area, but it is the most populous in the country as far as city limits.
Holy Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. This church houses four Rubens masterpieces. Afterwards, pilgrims will travel to Westmalle Brewery (part of the Westmalle Trappist Monastery) for lunch on their own and a chance to taste one of Belgium’s most famous beers, crafted by monks.
Mass will be celebrated in the morning of the following day at the Church of St. Charles Borromeo. After Mass, the group will visit the Red Star Line Museum (Emigration Museum). This is the same port of embarkation where Brice and her family departed Belgium on the SS Schmidt for New York on June 9, 1855.
Time allowing, the group will visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, housing a collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings from the 14th to the 20th centuries. The group will transfer to Leuven for dinner and hotel check-in for the first night of a six-night stay.
On Thursday, October 15, after breakfast in Leuven, pilgrims will travel to Brussels for Mass at St. James on Coudenberg (St. Jacques-sur-Coudenberg). After Mass, pilgrims will enjoy a walking city tour with sites like the Royal Palace, Parc de Bruxelles, St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, to the Grand-Place and Town Hall.
After a lunch break, pilgrims will enjoy a panoramic bus tour, seeing the European Quarters featuring the European Parliament. The group will then return to Leuven for leisure time and dinner on their own.
After breakfast on Friday, pilgrims will depart for Scherpenheuvel-Zichem for Holy Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel. Consecrated in 1627 and raised to the status of a minor basilica in 1922, Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel is reputedly the most frequently visited shrine of pilgrimage in Belgium.
Pilgrims will learn about the story of the statue of Mary, which started the Marian devotion here. St. Damien of Molokai (Jozef De Veuster), one of America’s most famous saints, who happens to be a Belgian went on pilgrimage to Scherpenheuvel with his mother just before departing for Hawaii in 1863.
After praying the rosary at the Marian shrine, the group will board a bus for a 13-mile drive to Tremelo, where they will find the childhood home of St. Damien of Molokai. After visiting the museum, they will return to Leuven to enjoy leisure time on their own.
After breakfast on Saturday, pilgrims will travel to St. Peter’s Church for a concelebrated Holy Mass with Bishop Ricken and Bishop Koen Vanhoutte, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels (pending the bishop’s final schedule), followed by a short talk on the state of the Church in Belgium today.
After a lunch break, the group will visit St. Anthony of Padua Chapel, which houses St. Damien of Molokai’s tomb.
Afterwards, the group will tour the KU Leuven, the longest existing Catholic university in the world. Pilgrims will see the American College Seminary, the University Hall (where doctoral defenses occur) and the seminary chapel, where they will pause for a brief prayer service.
Then the group will tour the Grand Beguinage, a most unique neighborhood started in the 13th century, where consecrated women lived in community. If time allows, pilgrims will visit St. Kwinten’s Church, near the Beguinage, to close the day with prayer.
After breakfast on Sunday, October 18, the group will travel to the Wallonia region of Belgium to the town of Dion-le-Val, where Brice was born on January 30, 1831, to Lambert and Catherine Brise (Belgian spelling is with an “s”). Holy Mass is to be celebrated at the local parish, Church of St. Martin.
After Mass, the group will travel to Wavre, the location of Adele’s Confirmation. Pilgrims will have the opportunity to visit and pray at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Basse-Wavre. This region is also home to the ancestors of another Wisconsin icon, Curly Lambeau.
On the last full day of the pilgrimage, the group will depart Leuven in the morning for the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery. Many brave soldiers lost their lives in courageous and incredible battles, defending the freedoms we enjoy today in America as well as in Europe. The group will visit the famous and impactful American cemetery, with thousands of tombstones in perfect formation.
As the group walks by the tombstones, they will pray a moving Rosary for the many souls of the buried soldiers, and also for the protection of the many men and women in our Armed Forces, wherever they are in the world.
After this visit, the group will continue to another famous cemetery, the Ardennes American Cemetery, where the group will pray a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the souls of the valiant fallen. Time allowing, the group will visit an approved Marian apparition in Belgium, Our Lady of Beauraing, to convey love and devotion to Mary, Our Blessed Mother, at this shrine.
A farewell Mass will be celebrated at a church near the cemeteries or at the Shrine of Our Lady of Beauraing. That evening, the group will travel back to Leuven for a farewell dinner before the return flight to the United States in the morning.
Important to note: All Masses are pending approval from local ecclesiastical authorities.
The 10-day trip includes round-trip air transportation from Chicago O’Hare, where pilgrims will meet a private motorcoach with a professional driver. The pilgrimage fee is $6,399 per person/double occupancy if registered by April 10. The fee is $6,499 after April 10.
To register or for more information, visit Belgium2026.pdf.