By Joseph Pronechen
National Catholic Register, Dec 19, 2024 / 14:55 pm
The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, was officially opened and consecrated on Dec. 19, 1999, along with the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery. The opening Mass was celebrated by Bishop David Foley of the Diocese of Birmingham at the time, marking a significant moment in the history of the shrine.
One of the most memorable moments during the dedication was when the shield in front of the monstrance came down for the first time, revealing the newly consecrated Sacred Host. This moment marked the beginning of perpetual adoration at the shrine, forever changing the atmosphere of the temple and the monastery, as described by Franciscan Father Joseph Mary Wolfe, the chaplain and chapel dean for EWTN.
According to Father Joseph Mary, the location of the shrine and monastery was carefully chosen by Mother Angelica of the Annunciation, the foundress of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. After exploring various potential locations, Mother Angelica felt a strong presence of the Lord on the countryside acreage in Hanceville, about 50 miles north of EWTN’s headquarters in Irondale.
In her biography, Mother Angelica described the moment she knew that Hanceville was the place chosen by God for the shrine and monastery. The property, purchased on the feast of Our Lady of the Angels, confirmed the location for Mother Angelica and her community.
When excavations began on the land where the temple now stands, workers were surprised to find white clay in Alabama, a state known for its red clay. This discovery was seen as another confirmation of their divine purpose.
According to Father Joseph Mary, the direction to build the temple came directly from the Lord Himself. He shared that Mother Angelica’s encounter with the child Jesus at the Shrine of Divino Niño in Bogotá, Colombia, inspired her to build a temple. The child Jesus himself told her, ‘Build me a temple, and I will help those who help you.’ The shrine stands today as a testament to the genuineness of Mother Angelica’s experience, as benefactors’ businesses prospered as a result.
Brother Bernard Mary of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, who was involved in the early days of the shrine, highlighted its significance in rekindling Eucharistic devotion among pilgrims. He mentioned that the shrine has also had a profound impact on the lives of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, providing them with a contemplative environment away from the hustle and bustle of the world.
The shrine comes to life
The monastery-farm project, which began in 1996, evolved into a grand complex of European-style architecture in the heart of rural Alabama. Brother Bernard shared that the project was made possible by the generous support of five anonymous families who wanted to offer the best to the Lord.
Welcome to a world where no expense was spared.
Step into the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, where Romanesque-Gothic architecture transports you to 13th-century Franciscan churches in Assisi and Umbria.
Marvel at the exquisite marbles from Italy, Macedonia, Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Finland, and Turkey that adorn the altar, sanctuary floor, and temple floor inside the shrine.
Admire the colorful stained-glass windows crafted by renowned glassmakers in Munich, Germany. The 55-feet-high, gold-leafed reredos of cedar from Paraguay serves as the throne for the nearly-eight-foot monstrance, where Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament is worshipped in perpetual adoration.
Witness the statue of El Divino Niño, a replica of the one Mother Angelica saw in Colombia, standing tall in the shrine’s piazza alongside another statue of the divine child Jesus.
In the words of Mother Angelica herself, “I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be so beautiful. He designed it; he built it; he paid for it.”
Countless blessings
Not only is the shrine a sight to behold, but it has also been a place where seeds of vocations are sown. Father Patrick Mary of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word recalls his pilgrimage to the shrine, where he felt called to his vocation during a Christmas midnight Mass.
