Four students from the Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in southern Indiana woke up early, donned warm clothes, and walked over a mile in the rain to a place called the Monte Cassino Shrine. Prayers at this place are believed to have miraculously stopped the spread of smallpox when the area was nearly overtaken by the epidemic in the 1870s. Every January, students process from the seminary to the shrine in thanksgiving for their miracle. That tradition endures, despite freezing rain and the cold of winter. Read an in-depth article on the shrine here.
The shrine is currently undergoing renovation and restoration to preserve it for future generations. Find out more and support the project at www.saintmeinrad.org/shrine