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Sunday nearest July 21
Our Lady of the Rivers, Portage des Sioux, Missouri, USA
In 1951, the rising Mississippi threatened to inundate the little town
of Portage des Sioux above St. Louis. At St. Francis Church in Portage,
the Legion of Mary prayed to the Virgin in a new way, as Our Lady of the
Rivers, on their town's behalf, and on July 21 the river crested without
flooding it. Grateful Catholics decided to build a commemorative shrine,
spreading the word and collecting donations nationwide. A 25' fiberglass
statue of Our Lady of the Rivers by Norma McClary was dedicated October
13, 1957 on the riverside. Every July, near the anniversary date, the
shrine hosts a Blessing of the Fleet, when the town priest prays over a
gathering of decorated boats. (Picture from River Bill's Archive Page,
www.riverbills.com.) |
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