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WINSLOW — Our Lady of the Ozarks Shrine stands near the summit of the Boston Mountains, halfway between northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River Valley.
For 71 years she has watched the surrounding areas experience the challenges of record growth and prosperity, welcomed campers and pilgrims and attracted a growing parish of fervent, hardworking parishioners dedicated to sharing their shrine with the greater western Arkansas community.
On Oct. 21, parishioners and pilgrims from Oklahoma, Texas and California gathered for adoration, Mass and a procession around the site’s five altars to say the rosary and sing hymns to Mary.
Father Pius Iwu of Immaculate Conception Church in Fort Smith celebrated 9 a.m. Mass, assisted by Deacon Mike Henry, parish administrator, and began the pilgrimage with prayers of petition, reparation and thanksgiving for the graces of the previous year. Pilgrims gathered around to recite the first decade of the rosary at a statue of St. Therese of Lisieux as cyclists pedaled by, waving and smiling.
St. Therese’s words — “What went right to my heart was her smile. Then all my pain was gone” — inspired the design for the Our Lady’s altar. The statue is a replica of the Bouchardon sculpture in Paris, France, depicting a young, smiling Virgin Mary standing over the moon and the serpent, wearing a crown of stars.
As the pilgrims recited the second decade by Mary’s altar, sunshine broke through the clouds and illuminated the autumn leaves and circling the shrine in gold. The third decade was recited at the altar of Christ crucified as he is consoled by angels. While the group prayed, two young boys knelt between the two angels on the altar steps. The fourth decade was recited at the altar of the Sacred Heart and the fifth decade was recited at the statue of St. Anthony holding the Infant Jesus.
The pilgrimage closed inside the church with prayers for priests and a prayer to St. Joseph for families. Pilgrims gathered in small groups at Our Lady’s chapel to the left of the altar, leaving written petitions at Mary’s feet.
“Our church was dedicated in 1946 after three determined women persuaded Bishop Albert Fletcher to establish a mission here,” said Mary Ann Kahmann, who is writing a history of the diocese’s only shrine.
Benefactors from Fort Smith, Tontitown, Fayetteville and across the United States contributed to the project. With faith and hard work, the local parishioners were able to build a church, rectory and fellowship hall for only $10,000.
This can-do attitude permeates the spirit of the current parishioners.
“It’s always been ‘everybody grab an oar’ if something needs to be done,” Kahmann said. “Just this morning before adoration Tony Rota put a new toilet seat in the men’s lavatory. Now that we have Deacon Mike (Henry) as our administrator, he’s been a wonderful addition. He gives a Bible study every Tuesday night. During Lent we have Friday night Masses and a simple supper afterwards, and he’s always here when we need something done.”
The parish is active and growing, she said.
Tom Johnson, chairman of the parish advisory board, said 60 to 70 people attended Mass each Sunday, and on holy days the church is packed.
“We almost have enough for two Masses now,” he said. “We are the only shrine in Arkansas, and in the past year we have tried to reach out to Catholics throughout the state,” he said. “Last year we had 100 pilgrims, and we are planning to hold a second pilgrimage each May.”
The parish has set up a website at ourladyoftheozarksshrine.org and is planning to build a Facebook page. “We want this shrine to be permanently sustainable and are trying to boost our funding by offering online donation capability,” Johnson said.
Mary Francis and John Sulzen of West Fork coordinate the October pilgrimage. With their seven younger children, they make up the program of prayers and hymns, promote the event and hold a family fest at their home at Honey Locust Grove after the pilgrimage.
“We wake up early at our house every day and say the rosary as a family before we go to school and work,” 14-year-old Maria Sulzen said. “We invite family and friends from other states to come to the pilgrimage and our family fest.”
Parishioners and pilgrims are also invited to the festivities, which include a family award drawing and crowning presentation, potluck, treasure hunts, a hayride, puppet show and a costume dance at the VA Auditorium in Fayetteville.
“My son and my nephew were the boys kneeling on the stairs of the statue of Christ Crucified,” Mary Francis Sulzen said. “Sometimes we fill all six steps, but some of our guests were a little late today.”
Guests are always welcome at the shrine. Mass is held each Sunday at 9:30 a.m., preceded by the Chaplet of Mercy, rosary and reconciliation. “We tell our visiting priests, Father John Antony and Father Pius Iwu, that it’s here on top of the mountain that you’re closest to God,” Kahmann said.
