Diocesan News

Devotional Site Honors Our Lady of Champion In Bay Ridge Church

October 23, 2025
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Father Kevin Abels, Dr. Patricia Cholewka, Michael Cholewka, and Nelson Caraballo (from left to right), the sacristan and plant manager of Our Lady of Angels, are excited to spread the news of the new devotion of Our Lady of Champion in the parish. Caraballo who has been with the parish for 27 years and installed the devotion said each time he turns on the lights, he prays to the devotion, asking for her intercession. (Photos: Alexandra Moyen)

BAY RIDGE — Our Lady of Angels Church has erected a new devotional site honoring Our Lady of Champion, a little-known but historically significant Marian apparition.

The site, a framed image of Our Lady of Champion displayed inside the church’s confessional area, was brought to Our Lady of Angels by Dr. Patricia Cholewka and her husband, Michael, who wanted to share the story with their home parish.

According to Church tradition, the Blessed Virgin appeared to Adele Brise, a young Belgian immigrant in rural Wisconsin, on her way back home from Mass. She appeared clothed in white, with a yellow sash around her waist, and a crown of stars atop her head.

The devotional site commemorates the Oct. 9, 1859 apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to a young Belgian immigrant, Adele Brise, in rural Wisconsin. It includes a description of the apparition, and has flowers placed beneath the image.

According to Church tradition, Mary appeared to Brise for the third time as she was heading back home from church. Brise was with companions, but Mary only appeared to her, clothed in white, with a yellow sash around her waist, and a crown of stars atop her head. When Brise asked who she was, Mary replied, “The Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners.”

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Patricia said she wanted to share the story with the Bay Ridge community because it is the only Church-approved Marian appearance in the United States, adding that she believes the story deserves to have a greater awareness.

“Hopefully people will know more because we have so many images of Our Lady, but I’ve never heard her say that she’s the Queen of Heaven, so I think with her status, we should have more information and knowledge of what she did,” Patricia said.

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Honoring the Blessed Mother is something Patricia and Michael do every day.

“We say [the rosary] every day and we know that Mary is very influential in interceding for us, so we continue to pray to her,” Patricia said.

“I’ve always prayed the Hail Mary all the time when I was growing up as support when there were good and hard times,” Michael added, explaining that he hopes the devotional site will bring parishioners the same comfort Mary has always brought him.

Father Kevin Abels, pastor of Our Lady of Angels, said that he views the new devotional site as an opportunity for both himself and parishioners to deepen their understanding of the apparition.

“It’s a focus on families and coming together to deepen their faith, as well as for people to pray for the conversion of sinners,” Father Abels said. “Which certainly, as we all know, is something very near and dear to the heart of our Blessed Mother.”