Outside the papal enclosure that encompasses 20 acres, the shrine campus features an Upper Church modeled after the Basilica of St. Francis and other Italian churches of the 13th century, a Lower Church that includes the tombs of deceased PCPA nuns, a piazza modeled after European churches, a Shroud of Turin exhibit, the St. John Paul II Eucharistic Center, Stations of the Cross, a replica of the Lourdes Grotto, a Eucharistic garden, the Castle of San Miguel, Gift Shop of El Niño, a Nativity creche, and a retreat house that provides priests, deacons and seminarians a few days — or in some cases, a few weeks — of mental and physical rest along with spiritual renewal.

The property also has a working farm with beef cattle, longhorn cows, horses, sheep, pigs, donkeys, chickens, roaming bands of deer and wild turkeys, and an array of songbirds. The occasional bald eagle has been spotted on the property, as well.

Suffice to say, St. Francis of Assisi would feel right at home at 3222 Cullman County Road 548.

Mother Mary Paschal, the abbess at     Our Lady of the Angels Monastery (OLAM), stressed that the shrine functions first and foremost for pilgrims as a place to connect with God on an intimate level, whether or not they are actively seeking such a relationship.

“Many pilgrims and visitors experience a deep peace in the Lord’s Presence, the peace that only He can give,” she said. “Those who bring their burdens and sufferings meet Christ, truly present in the Holy Eucharist. An encounter with our Savior at the shrine imparts new faith, hope, and love to the weary, filling one with wonder like St. Francis at the foretaste of Heaven given to those who thirst for more.”

The shrine, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and attracts visitors from across the world, falls below the local radar at times due to its off-the-beaten-path location and its ties with the highly visible Eternal Word Television Network in nearby Irondale, where OLAM was located from 1962 to 1999.

But the proverbial spotlight should illuminate the shrine over the next several months, as Bishop Raica designated the site as a Jubilee 2025 destination. Celebrated every 25 years by the Catholic Church, the roots of the event date back to Jewish tradition as recorded in the Book of Leviticus. Jubilees have been held in regular intervals by the Church since the 1300s.

“Since this is a place where Jesus Christ, Who is our hope, draws many closer to Him, the nuns at OLAM are thrilled that the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament is a designated Jubilee of Hope site,” said Mother Paschal.

As it is currently celebrated, a Jubilee Year is a time of spiritual reconciliation and renewal, marked by charity, works of mercy, penance, and pilgrimage. In addition, the opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence is available for either a qualifying penitent or for a soul in Purgatory.

25 years and counting

The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament traces its history to August of 1995, when Mother Angelica, the former Abbess of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery and founder of the Eternal Word Television Network, deemed it necessary to distance the PCPA from the EWTN Irondale studios, which she felt was encroaching more and more upon the nuns’ mission of maintaining their cloistered and contemplative way of life.

Toward that end, Mother Angelica began searching for land to build a new monastery. She scoured the north Alabama countryside by car and helicopter, and on Oct. 12, 1995, she viewed a piece of property in Hanceville. The ideal acreage was situated on the banks of the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River. Mother Angelica soon made an offer on the property. Ground was broken in 1997, and the shrine and monastery were dedicated in December of 1999.