St. Gianna Shrine Committee

On February 20th, 2024, Bishop Hicks declared our St. Gianna Shrine an official shrine of the Diocese of Joliet! In his decree, Bishop Hicks stated, “The Shrine’s primary purpose is for the celebration and support of life, marriage, and family.” He also included a few primary goals of the Shrine including, “to promote St. Gianna and her message and to be a place of healing (especially for miscarriages), comfort, and peace to pilgrims who visit.” 

In order to continue living out the purpose of the Shrine, we need a dedicated team of volunteers to support the ministry. There are a few ways you can help.

1. Join the St. Gianna Shrine Committee. This committee meets just once a month to plan and organize things like the St. Gianna Veneration Service that happens on the last Saturday of every month after the 4:00 PM Mass, scheduled tours of the Shrine, and St. Gianna’s Feast Day celebration. For the St. Gianna Veneration Service, we need two volunteers to sign up for each month of the year to pass out a St. Gianna prayer card to those who are attending and to assist the Priest or Deacon by holding one of the relics of St. Gianna for those attending to venerate. 
2. Volunteer with the upkeep of the Shrine grounds. If you enjoy being outdoors and don’t mind a little dirt, the St. Gianna Shrine Committee is looking for additional volunteers to help keep the St. Gianna Shrine looking beautiful! Volunteer as often as you want! You choose which weeks out of the month to help, and come at least once any day that week (May – October). Some duties include weeding, sweeping, and cleaning the statue and signs.
3. Purchase a memorial brick for the Rosary Walk. The engraved bricks along the Rosary pathway can be personalized with your family’s name(s), to mark an event like a wedding anniversary, or to commemorate a memorial to honor a loved one who has passed away, or a child who was lost through miscarriage. A companion brick is also available to purchase for your own garden. Proceeds from these sales help support the ministry and upkeep of the Shrine. Click here to order a brick.
4. Donate to offset the cost of Hope Boxes. The ministry freely gifts St. Gianna Hope Boxes to promote healing for mothers who have had a miscarriage, which are available in the parish office. A donation of $20 will cover one box of hope and healing for someone who is grieving. Contact the parish office for more information on how to donate or to receive a box for yourself or someone you know.

If you are interested in being part of this uplifting ministry in any of the above ways, please contact info@stgiannashrine.org. The committee would really appreciate your help!