Welcome to the Catholic Community of St. Odilia!

The Crosier Fathers and Brothers served the St. Odilia Community from 1960 to 2007.  Their presence greatly influenced the shaping of our parish community!  Since St. Odilia is the patroness of the Crosiers, our parish is honored to name her as our patroness as well.

St. Odilia is said to have been the daughter of a powerful ruler of Britain. In the year 300, she and ten other virgins, companions of   St. Ursula, set out on a pilgrimage to the east. They were either going to Rome, or looking for a place to settle and quietly practice their faith. Their ship sailed up the Rhine River; they were captured by soldiers (Huns) and murdered at Cologne, Germany in 304.

The Crosiers—the word means cross bearers—were founded in the year 1210 in Liege, Belgium, by Blessed Theodore De Celles. In 1287 Odilia appeared to Brother John of Eppa at the monastery in Paris. She explained that God had commanded her to be the protectress of the order. She told him where her bones (relics) were to be found, and stated that they should be taken to the motherhouse at Huy, Belgium. On a stop at a Cistercian convent, a sister who suffered from an eye disease touched the relics and was cured. Since then, St. Odilia has been the patron saint of those with bodily afflictions and, more specifically, with eye problems.

The Order suffered much during the Protestant Revolt and French Revolution. The Motherhouse was destroyed in 1797, but a Crosier priest escaped with the relics of St. Odilia. They were later discovered in a parish church in Kerniel, Belgium. Finally, in 1949, the relics were returned to the Crosiers and were taken in solemn procession to the Crosier monastery at Diest, Belgium.

In 1850, the Crosiers came to the Green Bay, Wisconsin area, but stayed only about 26 years. In 1910, several members of the order settled in the Onamia area, traveling from Holland with Dutch immigrants. By 1922, the Crosiers had built both a church and a monastery. In 1952 a large portion of an arm bone was brought to Onamia and a shrine was established to honor the Patroness of the Blind and Afflicted and the Patroness of the Crosier Order. Many cures have been obtained through St. Odilia’s intercession. It is worth a trip to Onamia to see this beautiful shrine, the stained glass windows in the chapel, and the historic buildings.

In 2010, the Crosiers celebrated their Jubilee Year, 800 years since the founding of the Crosier Order in 1210 and 100 years since its permanent establishment in the United States in 1910. Today, over 400 Crosiers live and serve the Church in eleven countries on five continents, including 75 of them in the United States. The Crosiers commit to a life of community, prayer and ministry; they share one spirituality, that of the cross. St. Augustine taught that we come to know and experience God in our relationships with others, especially in community. The full canonical title is the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross of St. Augustine.

The Crosiers and our St. Odilia parish community celebrates the Feast on the weekend closest to July 18, the date her relics arrived at the central priory in Huy. Much more information is on the Crosier website, www.crosier.org.
 

We are fortunate at St. Odilia to have original artwork that enhances the beauty of our worship space, speaks of the presence of God and is an expression of the community. It is our hope that this information will help viewers sense the presence of God as expressed by the artists.
 
Shrine of St. Odilia
Located inside the north entrance to where we assemble for Eucharist, the figure of St. Odilia is sculpted of oak at the center of her shrine. She is pictured running toward God with other young saints, full of energy, their feet hardly touching ground, eager to break Bread at the altar table.

The saints are drawn toward a beautiful warm light that transforms them, revealing the many wonderful colors of each person, given by God. Artists Mike Martino and Jean Pintz used hand-woven wool thread for the tapestry, affording texture and warmth. The shrine was funded by children of the parish. Even very young children can see and honor the relic of St. Odilia, placed low on the shrine. A small bone fragment, it reminds us that she was one of us, with a body like ours.

Dan Perry, our Music Director, wrote the song Children of the Light in honor of St. Odilia. We often sing it as a parish community:
Children of the light, running free from the darkness.
Children of the light, we are dancing for joy.
Chosen to be heirs of the Kingdom of God.
We are children of the light, finding life in God’s love.
 
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel
The Chapel offers a quiet space for private prayer and adoration as well as other liturgical services. The theme of the chapel is waters of Baptism and new life in the Lord. The large Greek letter omega symbolizes the fullness of time. The rising sun portrays that the final day of the new creation has begun. The waters of baptism wrap the room, drawing us to the windows which connect the chapel to the baptismal font and main sanctuary.
The chapel windows are rich in symbolism:

• Wings: God hovering over the waters at the time of creation, and the Holy Spirit hovering over the baptismal waters of new life in the Church.
• Circle: oneness and perfection of God.
• Circle and chalice: Holy Eucharist.
• Key: key to everlasting life.
• Priest’s stole: Sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation.
• Blue color: waters of Baptism.

Christmas Icon
Our Christmas Icon was designed and written (the proper term for painting an icon) by longtime parishioner Carol Mitchell. She did the required research on the strict, historic rules and symbols that had evolved over centuries for the portrayal of the Mother with Child. Carol fasted and prayed as she did the design. This beautiful icon remains an important inspiration for prayer as it looks down on us from the front wall of the church each year at Christmas.

 

Sanctuary Crucifix - A Work of Art and a Witness of Faith

This oak and bronze crucifix provides a moving and exciting focus in the church worship area. The cross, created as a community project, continues to solicit community involvement by its very presence. Formed from hundreds of pieces, this unusual art piece gives the viewer a sense of being a part of a larger, diverse parish as we become Church together. The massive wall behind the altar symbolizes the majesty and power of God, or the many members of our community.
 
The sculptor, Steve Harmon described the crucifix as “an open cross which demands the person looking at it become involved with the crucifix.” This openness is meant to be “non-confining”, as it fits the natural contour of the wall, thus enabling it to be viewed from all angles. 
The viewer sees no specific features, yet Christ’s face is turned upward, arms reaching out, giving us a glimpse of the risen Christ. The pieces of the cross seem to shatter the confines of earthly bounds, so that this transformed Christ conquers death, full of light and glory. It suggests an explosion of power as Jesus died and was transformed to glory.

The cross spans 13 feet and weighs 2000 pounds. The bronze sculpture was cast using the traditional lost wax process. 

Marian Shrine
The statue of the Madonna delle Strada (Madonna of the Streets) centers the Marian Shrine in a small alcove in the chapel. Hand carved in linden wood by the Demetz Studio in Italy, the statue conveys beautifully the intimate relationship between Mother and Child. Parishioner Susan Hanson Lieser painted the surrounding mural. In the beauty of this space, you will find yourself drawn to kneel down for a period of quiet and a few moments of contemplative prayer.  The completed shrine fulfilled a longtime dream of the St. Odilia Council of Catholic Women, whose many events over the years provided the funding for this special project.
  

Our Lady of Guadalupe
Located in the Chapel, this painting of Our Lady reflects the presence of the Latino community in our parish.  In 1531, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to a humble, indigenous Mexican named Juan Diego, at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City. She made a request for a church to be built on the site. When the bishop hesitated and requested a sign, the Virgin left an image of herself imprinted miraculously on the native’s tilma (cape). This image of Our Lady remains to this day in the basilica built in her honor. This most popular religious and cultural icon is a symbol of the Mexican nation. She is recognized as the Patroness of the Americas, and her feast day is celebrated on December 12.

Our Pledge to Heal
Believe in the possibility of help and healing. There is hope.

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis partners with Canvas Health, an independent and professional local care provider to help you or anyone who has been abused or victimized by someone representing the Catholic Church. Referrals and financial support for counseling, individual or group therapy, and spiritual advising or direction area offered to assist in the healing process.  Confidential, compassionate assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 651-291-4497 or click below for more info:
Report Abuse 
SafeCatholicSPM.org

Are you interested in joining the parish? The registration process at
St. Odilia is easy and encouraged.