Shrine Grounds

Always open with social distancing required

Church of Our Lady of the Snows –

Weekday Masses 7:30 & 11:30 am

Saturday Masses 9:00 am & 4:00 pm Vigil Mass

Sunday 9:30 am & 2:00 pm Spanish

Liturgy of Mass requirements: 

YOU MUST REVIEW AND AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES PUT FORTH BY THE BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF BELLEVILLE BEFORE ATTENDING LITURGIES – NO EXCEPTIONS:

  •     Please arrive to the church 15-20 minutes prior to the start of Mass, to allow time for ushers to lead you to appropriate seating and maintain social distancing.
  •    Masks are required for every person over 2 years of age – there can be NO ADMITTANCE WITHOUT A FACE COVERING.
  •    Masks must stay on the entire time you are in the building, with the brief exception of receiving Communion.
  •    You must provide face coverings for yourselves and children, none will be provided.
  •    Please enter the church through the center front doors, which will be propped open for reducing contact. All other doors will only be used in case of an emergency.
  •    Remember to maintain six feet of distance from those outside of your household.
  •    Please sanitize your hands upon entering the building, then check-in with a staff member to confirm your reservation.
  •    Ushers will lead you to your seat in the church, and once there you should make every effort to remain seated there throughout the Mass. Pews and chairs are set for specific required social distancing as well as allowing seating up to the maximum 100 people allowed. You may not request a specific place to sit.
  •    Water fountains and holy water are not available at this time.
  •     You will be responsible for maintaining social distance when using restrooms; if possible maintain one person or one household only occupying the restroom at a time. You must wash your hands thoroughly and sanitize them before re-entering the sanctuary.
  •    A physical Sign of Peace may be shared among family members, but there should be no physical contact with those outside of your household.
  •    The priest alone will distribute the Eucharist (under one species) to each communicant within the pews – you will not come forward to receive Communion. The Eucharist must be received in your hands, and just prior to receiving, a staff member will spray sanitizer into your hands.
  •    At the end of Mass, please remain seated until you are released by ushers.
  •    There will be no entrance or offertory procession, and no collection taken during Mass. However, your financial help is crucial for the Shrine to continue to offer liturgies, and we greatly appreciate you making a contribution in the collection receptacle near the church entrance.
  •    You must exit the church building immediately following Mass; however you may greet each other outside, keeping 20 feet away from the church doors, and maintaining use of masks and social distancing.
  •    The Shrine staff have a strict protocol of sanitizing the entire church before and after its use; we appreciate your cooperation in clearing the building quickly so the disinfection process can begin promptly.

Thank you for following these procedures to safeguard your health and the health of your family in faith!

Sacrament of Reconciliation offered:

    • 30 minutes prior to Mass & Saturdays 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
      Confessions will also be heard outside of the above times by appointment – please contact the Shrine Information Desk at 618-397-6700 to schedule.
    • Guidelines for Safe Reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
      (per order of the Bishop of the Diocese of Belleville): 
    • No admittance without a mask  –  we apologize but NO EXCEPTIONS can be made regarding this important safety protocol
    • Patrons must supply own masks as well as own paper products – tissues, Bible, pamphlets, etc., and these items must be taken out of church or discarded following confession
    • Patrons must enter through the center doors of the church (all other entrances are inaccessible) and check in with Sacristan on duty
    • Only 10 attendees may wait inside the church at any time
    • Patrons must sanitize hands upon entering the church
    • Shrine staff will disinfect waiting area seating and penitent chair after each confession
    • Priest will wear a mask for the entire time he is hearing confessions
    • Following each Reconciliation period, after all attendees have left, Shrine staff will disinfect church entrance doors, all chairs and restrooms

We appreciate your cooperation in safeguarding your health and the health of all our patrons. 

Shrine Devotional/Sacred Spaces (outdoor):

Always open with social distancing required

  • Lourdes Grotto
  • Annunciation Garden
  • Mother’s Prayer Walk
  • Shrine Amphitheatre Church
  • Agony Garden
  • Way of the Cross/Stations
  • Millennium Spire
  • Resurrection Garden
  • Father’s Memorial Walk
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe Hill

Visitors Center 

  • Partial opening for the Visitor Center from 10 am to 5 pm daily.

Shrine Gift Shop 

  • Gift Shop will be open from 10 am to 5 pm daily
  • Please use the east entrance to enter the Gift Shop and the south entrance (by the restaurant) to exit out of the Gift Shop
  • Limited number of customers are allowed and will be monitored by employees
  • Masks or face coverings are required before entering the building
  • Please practice social distancing

Shrine Banquet Center

Remains closed until further notice
If you have a banquet reservation for the near future, please contact the Shrine Main Office at 618-397-6700 or email bmertz@snows.org

Shrine Guesthouse

Contact us at: 618-397-1162 or 800-682-2879 or email guesthouse@snows.org
The Shrine Guesthouse requires a valid credit card or debit card when making reservations.

Shrine Playground

Remains closed until further notice