Dear Wigleaf,

There's a man in Marshfield who is obsessed with the Necedah Shrine where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1949. He has written quite a few letters to the editor about it that also touch on other topics. "America is a
doped up, drugged up nation," he wrote, and also "Many parents are not going to get into heaven because their children aren't holy." One day he drove down to Madison to kill abortion doctors. Practicing his aim, he accidentally fired his gun inside his hotel room. He told the kid at the front desk he would pay for the damages, and when the police came he told them that he had come to Madison to kill abortion doctors. After he killed abortion doctors in Madison, he said, he planned to proceed to Milwaukee to kill more abortion doctors. So he is in jail now.

The shrine marks the spot where the Virgin Mary appeared to Mary Ann Van Hoof, nine times in all. The Virgin Mary said some things that might sound crazy to you or me. The whole episode got Mary Ann Van Hoof kicked out of the Catholic Church, which didn't believe her. Still she did not lose faith. The Blessed Virgin had chosen her and she would carry the message to the world.

To get to the Necedah Shrine, take County Road G to 16th Ave. Turn right onto Shrine Road and you will be almost there.

Best,

Rob






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Read RM's "Stevie Gets a Tattoo."

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