As the Belgians began settling in northeast Wisconsin in the 1850s, many often had to travel long distances to attend Mass, preventing them from going as often as they'd like. These roadside chapels were not only hospitable to visitors, but they provided a place where they themselves could pray often.

This is a photo of the roadside chapel located on my family's homestead in Red River, Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. It's dedicated to St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. This farm is still operated by my cousin Leonard LeGrave, the 2nd great grandson of Jean Alexis LeGrave, who established the homestead when he emigrated in 1856, arriving at the port of Green Bay on Saturday, July 12.

Here's a short video recorded by Fr. Edward Looney about this chapel. It's part of a series he did in 2020 while visiting over two dozen such chapels. (Note the sound at first is rough due to the wind, but it gets better quickly.)

In the state of Wisconsin where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a Belgian immigrant named Adele Brise in 1859, a cultural devotion from her homeland would make its way into the local community, that of roadside (or wayside, votive) chapels dedicated to Jesus, Mary, and the saints. The Belgian Roadside Chapels of Northeastern Wisconsin serve as a place for devotion for locals and pilgrims alike as they seek the intercession of saints both popular and unknown. Join Fr. Edward Looney, host of Faith Along the Road as he brings you to these chapels, shares their history, and helps to tell their story.

▶ "Faith Along the Road: The Belgian Roadside Chapels of Northeastern Wisconsin" — video by Fr. Edward Looney (2023). The LeGrave homestead and its chapel appear at 12:47 in this video.

▶ Wisconsin Hometown Stories: Door County — video by PBS Wisconsin (2022)

▶ Belgian Roadside Chapels of NE Wisconsin — Facebook page

▶ Belgian Roadside Chapels — Brown County Historical Society

About this web site

I've visited these chapels for decades using printed brochures as a guide. Those brochures are great. But I want to provide a modern means of finding and visiting these chapels. So I created this site.

It's also important to me that you can print the main page and take it along with you as you travel. So I've formatted it specifically to look good when printed. It's also important to me that you can print the main page and take it along with you as you travel. So I've formatted it specifically to look good when printed. Just turn your device sidways or widen your browser window to see the printer icon at the top of the page.

If you have any questions or additional info about any of these chapels, please let me know.