Holy Hill
Apr 15th, 2007 by Debra Murphy
The Carmelite Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, in Hubertus, Wisconsin, otherwise known as "Holy Hill", is about a forty-five minute drive NW of Milwaukee. In The Mystery of Things, the brother of the female protagonist is a Carmelite friar there, and the shrine serves as the setting of several of the most important scenes in the novel. Moreover, Holy Hill was where Debra Murphy first got the idea for the novel, while on retreat there in the early nineties. (For more on this, see Q & A with Debra Murphy.)
Here is a brief description from Chapter Eight:
Neither said a word as Lupe led James up the path, then underneath a large concrete portico at the top of the hill, which served as porch for the main church above. Climbing the stairs on the other side, they emerged onto the porch itself, which was bordered by a chest-high wall that resembled the ramparts of a medieval castle.
It was hardly as imposing as his beloved Salisbury Cathedral, James thought, but the Carmelite Shrine of Holy Hill, dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians, nevertheless reminded him a good deal of a grand European abbey, sitting like a queen atop the highest hill in the Kettle Moraine. Forest colors of opal, emerald, ruby, and garnet, set against a sky of lucent blue, cascaded downward on all sides of the Shrine like precious jewels sown into the trialing silks of her majesty’s robe.
Of special interest to the visitor (and the reader of The Mystery of Things) is the Shrine’s right-hand tower, the so-called "Scenic Tower".
After dropping a couple of dollars in the donation box inside the door, they began the nearly three hundred foot climb up the Scenic Tower, taking the ever-narrowing stairs single file. The dark stairwell…made James feel as if he were climbing to the bottom of the sea. He was grateful when he finally felt some fresh air against his face.They stepped out into a small platform near the top. It was perhaps ten feet square and constructed of sandblasted brick walls and a floor of cement tiles. Pairs of tall, narrow lancet windows beneath large rose windows, all crisscrossed with iron grillwork and open to the air, afforded an unobstructed view of the spectacular countryside at all four points of the compass. Raising the collar of his leather bomber jacket against the fierce wind, James surveyed his perimeter: the Shrine’s bell tower was to the north, the main body of the church to the east, and the rolling Wisconsin countryside to the south and west everywhere resplendent.
Stepping to the lancet window on the west side, James peered between the iron grillwork to look down at the blacktop driveway directly beneath them. The distance didn’t seem so terribly great until he spotted a pair of pilgrims approaching the door far below. In the warping perspective of nearly three hundred feet, the two women looked like little more than colorful leaves blown to the ground by a hilltop gust of wind.
:Here are a couple of snapshots of the Scenic Tower and the view from it, taken by the author in the mid-90’s. They don’t do justice to the amazing view, but perhaps it will give you an idea:
In June, 2006, Holy Hill made news in a most unfortunate way when a couple of youthful would-be satanists vandalized the Shrine. It was with double pleasure, then, when we learned that Pope Benedict had named Holy Hill a Minor Basilica later that fall. (Go here for a wonderful Catholic Herald slideshow of the November 19, 2006 dedication Mass, presided by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee.
Here’s from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee report:
“This is a blessing and Holy Hill is a national treasure of the Church, richly deserving of this status,” Archbishop Dolan [of Milwaukee] said. “Under the attentive care of the Discalced Carmelites, Holy Hill and the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, remains a wonderful confluence of natural beauty, peaceful prayer, great spiritual nourishment, evangelical mission and the focal point of a vibrant local, regional and national church.”
For much more about Holy Hill, visit the Shrine’s website.
