The White Lady

Across the Missouri River Valley from the Hermannhof Winery is the Starkenburg Lady of Sorrows Shrine to our "Blessed Virgin Mary." Built as a monastery in 1852, Starkenburg was named for its likeness to a monastery built in Germany in 1065. The Lady of Sorrows Monastery has a plain white veiled statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary carried in processions. Protestants of Rhineland, Herman and surrounding Missouri farms who came to view the Virgin Mary processions, termed the Virgin Mary statue as the "Weisse Dame- White Lady."

In 1891 a solemn, annual pilgrimage was vowed by local farmers to the "Weisse Dame - White Lady" if the rains would cease. The following day dawned bright and clear, and one beautiful day followed another. On another occasion, a drought was broken on the day after such a pilgrimage. Pilgrim processions grew into multitudes. Numerous seemingly miraculous cures have also been reported from the water of Starkenburg.

In 1897 the Holy Father, Leo XIII, decreed that henceforth, all pious Pilgrims to the Shrine wil be granted special benefits. The crutches, braces and plaques at Starkenburg bear testimony to the consolation, relief, and therapeutic benefits received from the Starkenburg Shrine.

Taken off of the wine bottle.