On Dec. 13, 2015, in the Diocese of La Crosse, Holy Doors were opened at the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman and the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse. Holy Doors will remain open throughout the world until they are closed on Nov. 13, 2016, with the exception of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, which will be closed by Pope Francis on the feast of Christ the King, Nov. 20, 2016, bringing the Year of Mercy to a conclusion.
Each deanery of the diocese has a Year of Mercy pilgrimage church designated by Bishop Callahan, listed below. A Year of Mercy plenary indulgence can be obtained by visiting these churches (as well as the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman or the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse) and carrying out the prescribed prayers and actions for gaining the indulgence. Parishes and pilgrimage groups can download the Year of Mercy Pilgrimage Booklet and get more contact information in the Lenten Resources tab at www.diolc.org/mercy.
| Pilgrimage church | City |
| Most Sacred Heart of Jesus | Pine Creek |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus | Jim Falls |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus | Spring Valley |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus | Eau Claire |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus | Marshfield |
| Sacred Heart | Wauzeka |
| Sacred Heart | Lone Rock |
| Sacred Heart | Polonia |
| Holy Rosary | Owen |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus | Cashton |
| Sacred Heart | Cassel |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus | Nekoosa |
The idea of mercy is not reserved to shrines and parishes, but is formed first in the home, then taken to the world. Make your home a place of mercy by sharing that idea with everyone who enters through your door, starting with your family. As mercy within the home increases, it has the ability to travel outward as in a pilgrimage.
As Pope Francis said, “May the doors of our Christian homes be signs and symbols of the door of God’s mercy, a door ever open to all who knock and desire to meet Jesus.”