Under a summer sun and to the steady rhythm of Hail Marys in Spanish, Bishop David Bonnar of the Diocese of Youngstown walked alongside pilgrims on a path in Ashtabula County. His destination: the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, nestled on a 50-acre property behind a family farmhouse in Windsor, where he led a Spanish-language Mass.
The July 13 pilgrimage was not only a celebration of Marian devotion, but also a reflection of the global Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope, declared by the late Pope Francis.
“This is our second pilgrimage to the shrine,” Bishop Bonnar said. “It’s a beautiful opportunity for us to come together—not only for the Hispanic community across the diocese, but also as one diocesan family—and to celebrate hope.”
A Shrine Born of Faith
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as the Servants of Mary Center for Peace, began in 1987 when Deacon Ed Heinz and his wife Pat purchased a 120-year-old farm in Windsor. Originally intended as a Catholic youth camp, financial setbacks forced them to sell. When the family unexpectedly reacquired the farm in 1992, they saw it as divine intervention and rededicated the land to honoring God through Mary.
The property now features a 50-foot mosaic-tiled statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe—designed and donated by sculptor Richard Hyslin—along with the “Lake of Hope,” surrounded by the world’s largest illuminated 15-decade Rosary. Visitors can also walk the peaceful grounds and visit the Holy Innocents Chapel.
Shrine co-founder Pat Heinz has watched devotion to Mary grow far beyond what she could have imagined.
“Yes—so many people have come out, and they’re coming from all over the world now,” she said. “People take videos as they walk up to the statue, and then they post them on TikTok. It spreads everywhere. We’ve had people fly in from California and fly right back out, just to be here. The furthest visitor so far has come from Australia. And I believe it’s only going to get bigger.”
Despite the attention, Heinz is quick to deflect any credit.
“It’s not me. I’m just a servant,” she said. “I never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. I just say, ‘Yes, Lord—here I am. What do You want me to do today?’
And Mary … she’s calling her people here. She’s really calling them.”
That all may be one
After a mile-long Rosary procession in Spanish, Bishop Bonnar presided at Mass beside the shrine’s open-air altar. Hundreds of Hispanic Catholics—many of them farmworkers and rural laborers—gathered to pray, hear the Word and be accompanied by their bishop.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe is a powerful intercessor for all of God’s people,” he said. “But there’s a special devotion to her among the Spanish-speaking community. Every December, we celebrate her feast day with tremendous solemnity and joy. It’s always a time of deep faith and cultural pride.”
The bishop also expressed his hope that the day would strengthen the Church’s outreach to the Hispanic community in the diocese. “I hope this helps us continue to build up our community of faith—especially with a renewed intentionality toward the Hispanic community,” he said. “We now have five Hispanic communities in our diocese, each with a Spanish-speaking priest dedicated to serving the people. This pilgrimage is a reflection of my episcopal motto: That All May Be One.”
He added that pilgrimages like this one are a chance to deepen Marian devotion and draw spiritual strength. “Mary is always there for us,” he said. “She’s a model of gentleness, humility and openness to God’s will. My prayer is that everyone who comes here feels inspired by her intercession and by her example of living the faith.”
“Whenever we come to a holy site dedicated to the Blessed Mother, it’s like returning to a mother’s heart,” he added. “And from that heart, we receive peace, reassurance and comfort.”
Father Brian Smith, an assoicate pastor in Portage County fluent in Spanish, delivered the homily during the Mass.
“Mary comes to the humble, to those who feel forgotten,” Father Smith said. “And she offers hope.”
A Pilgrimage of Unity and Hope
Dominican Father Frassati Davis, pastor of St. Dominic Church in Youngstown, called the shrine a “concrete sign of God’s mercy breaking into everyday life.”
“This is a family’s backyard—but it’s also sacred ground. The Church is alive here.”
Bishop Bonnar echoed that sentiment, noting the grace and hospitality of the Heinz family and the Servants of Mary team.
“The Servants of Mary are always so kind and hospitable,” he said. “We’re blessed to be able to pray in such a beautiful, sacred space. It’s a grace to walk these grounds, pray the Rosary together and be reminded of the loving presence of Our Lady.”
He added that the day’s events were a model of what the Church is called to during this Jubilee Year: to go out, accompany and offer hope.
“A pilgrimage isn’t just about a place—it’s about movement,” Bishop Bonnar said. “This Jubilee reminds us to keep moving forward—not alone, but together. And that’s what today was: the people of God walking together in hope.”
As the last prayers rose into the summer sky and pilgrims lingered near the shrine, lighting candles and taking photos, Bishop Bonnar remained among them—offering blessings, sharing smiles and reminding all that they are not alone.
“We all walk different roads,” he said. “But Mary walks with us. And so does the Church.”
