Oldenburg Indiana is known for its rich religious history. Founded in 1837 by German settlers, it is known as the “Village of Spires” due to the multiple church steeples that make up the town’s skyline.
Located about a mile outside the town limits visitors will find the beautiful Sorrowful Mother Shrine, erected in 1871 by Siegfried Koehler, who had arrived in Oldenburg from Alsace, France in the late 1830’s.
The Altar
Prayer bench
The statue on the altar is actually a plaster cast of the original that Koehler brought with him on the ship from France. The original was found to be hand carved from black walnut, and now is in the Holy Family Catholic Church in Oldenburg to protect it from vandalism.
The Seven Sorrows of Mary
Seven Sorrows pictured
The shrine is found on a country road, and is in a beautiful setting. Trees, lawns and a stone bench ad to the ambience. While it can be locked, the shrine was open the day we visited. This is a Holy and Sacred place, and you can feel peace and serenity at the shrine.
My mother’s people came from Alsace. How beautiful this place is.
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Sher’s family is also part of this history. Thanks for sharing.
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Fun history and shrine.
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Thanks Timothy. Sher’s family is part of this history.
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Hi Maj and Sher,
Fascinating, interesting post. Indiana often seems off the beaten travel path. But the more I learn about various US states, each one is similar to being its own country in many regards. Culture, climate, customs, history….amazing!
Ryan
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Indiana, known as the Hoosier State, does have many unique locations and historic features, like, as you say, most states do. Thanks for sharing!
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Great post!Such a rich history.
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Thank you! We enjoy sharing.
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Please keep sharing 💕
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Thanks, we plan to!
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It looks like a really peaceful place you could go when you need to think and/or talk to God. There are lots of churches in my little hometown here in TN too. One of them has a cannonball embedded from the civil war embedded in the front wall.
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There is so much history to learn and digest. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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You and Sher post the most interesting blog! I look forward to them. Thanks for posting.
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You are so kind! We really appreciate your support and encouragement.
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Fascinating – especially the original walnut carving story
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Thanks, Derrick. (Sher’s family first settled in Oldenburg after arriving from Alsace)
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