Holy Hill Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians

What Holy Hill Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians does

Holy Hill Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians is a Catholic religious nonprofit institution located on 435 acres in Hubertus, Wisconsin (EIN 39-0983088), operated continuously by the Discalced Carmelite Friars since June 26, 1906, and elevated to Minor Basilica status by Pope Benedict XVI on November 19, 2006. The institution serves approximately 500,000 pilgrims, sightseers, and religious visitors annually, offering Catholic Masses (daily in English, Sunday in Spanish), confessions, eucharistic adoration, and Marian devotions across the Basilica (Level 3), Shrine Chapel, and Chapel of St. Thérèse (Level 2). It operates as one of the busiest pilgrimage destinations in the United States, hosting approximately 500,000 visitors a year and, in November 2025, drawing nearly 26,000 faithful for a four-day visitation of first-class relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

The institution's product and service portfolio spans religious worship, hospitality, retail, and digital spiritual services. Hospitality operations include the on-site Holy Hill Café Coffeehouse (open daily 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), the Gift Store (physical and online at giftstore.holyhill.com), and the Guest House/Retreat Center with 29 overnight rooms across the New Guest House (14 rooms) and Old Monastery Inn (15 rooms) at $45–$65 + tax per night. Religious services include Mass intentions at $20 per Mass (raised from $10 in July 2024), perpetual Mass Union enrollments ($15–$40), and spiritual greeting cards. Digital offerings include Online Candles, a Virtual Way of the Cross recorded with Archbishop Listecki, and online enrollment programs.

The institution does not rely on a conventional commercial revenue model; it is supported primarily by donations and charitable contributions to the Discalced Carmelite Community, augmented by ancillary commercial revenues from the gift store, café, retreat accommodations, and Mass stipends. It is part of the Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Washington Province) — the first Discalced Carmelite Province in the United States, formed in 1947 — and supports mission activities in Nairobi, Kenya. Affiliated parish St. Mary's of the Hill (founded 1924) and lay Carmelite communities (Secular Discalced Carmelites, Carmelitas Seglares, Elijah Men's Group) extend its programming reach.

Name

Holy Hill Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians

Legal name

The Discalced Carmelite Friars of Holy Hill, Inc.

Website

https://holyhill.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1863

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Holy Hill Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians is a Catholic religious nonprofit in Hubertus, Wisconsin, operated by the Discalced Carmelite Friars since 1906 and serving approximately 500,000 annual pilgrims through worship services, hospitality (guest house, café, gift store), and digital spiritual programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Shrine and Pilgrimage Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC), Religious Landmarks & Pilgrimage Sites (Temples, Churches, Shrines) (THAJACAG), Religious & Sacred Sites Tours (THAJAAAF), Religious Retreats & Spiritual Wellness Travel Agencies (THAKAHAM)

Keywords

• Catholic pilgrimage site
• Religious shrine services
• Spiritual retreat center
• Catholic worship services
• Religious gift store

Headquarters

HQ city

Hubertus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Discalced Carmelite Community relies upon the prayers and generosity of supporters. Donations help preserve sacred spaces, support provincial ministries, and assist missions in Kenya.
2. Gift Store Sales: The Holy Hill Gift Store serves hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually with merchandise and Catholic books. Available both in-store and online 24/7.
3. Café/Coffeehouse Revenue: Holy Hill Café Coffeehouse serves fresh brewed and specialty coffees, smoothies, sandwiches, soups and scratch-made desserts. Open daily 7am-4pm.
4. Guesthouse/Retreat Accommodations: Overnight accommodations in New Guest House (14 rooms) and Old Monastery Inn (15 rooms). Rates: Single $45-$55 + tax, Double $55-$65 + tax.
5. Mass Stipends: Mass intentions scheduled at $20.00 per Mass (increased from $10 to $20 on July 1, 2024 per Archdiocese of Milwaukee).
6. Spiritual Cards and Mass Union Enrollments: Perpetual Mass enrollments including Blue Hardcover Mass Union ($25/$40), Health and Healing ($15), Prayerful Remembrance ($15), Living Lifetime Enrollment ($15).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Holy Hill operates a Catholic basilica and national shrine on 435 acres in Hubertus, Wisconsin, offering daily and weekend Masses, confessions, eucharistic adoration, Marian devotions, Spanish-language worship, and spiritual retreats. Complementary offerings include an on-site Catholic gift store (with online sales), a café, overnight retreat accommodations in the Guest House and Old Monastery Inn, the 192-foot Scenic Tower tourist attraction, and digital spiritual services such as virtual candle lighting, Mass Union enrollments, and Spiritual Cards.

Product overview

Holy Hill Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians is a religious pilgrimage destination and spiritual center operated by the Discalced Carmelite Friars. The institution offers a portfolio of religious worship services (daily and weekend Masses, confessions, eucharistic adoration), hospitality services (Gift Store, Café, Guest House/Retreat Center), tourism attractions (Scenic Tower), and digital spiritual services (Online Candles, Virtual Way of the Cross, Mass Unions, Spiritual Cards). The offerings are interconnected, serving the approximately half million annual pilgrims who visit the 435-acre sacred site in Hubertus, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Holy Hill Gift Store: Retail gift store serving pilgrims with religious merchandise, books, and mementos. Located on-site with online shopping available.
• Holy Hill Café Coffeehouse
• Holy Hill Guest House

Products and services

• Holy Hill Gift Store Physical and online gift store offering religious merchandise, mementos, and Catholic books for pilgrims visiting the Basilica and Shrine. Available in-store and online 24/7 at giftstore.holyhill.com with free in-store and curbside pickup for online/phone orders.
• Holy Hill Café Coffeehouse On-site coffeehouse serving fresh brewed and specialty coffees, smoothies, sandwiches, soups, and scratch-made desserts including seasonal pies. Open daily 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for visitors, pilgrims, and retreat guests.
• Holy Hill Guest House / Retreat Center Overnight retreat accommodations in two facilities — New Guest House (14 rooms) and Old Monastery Inn (15 rooms) — for spiritual renewal and group retreats. Rates range from $45 to $65 per night plus tax depending on room and occupancy. Conference rooms and a chapel are available.
• Scenic Tower 192-foot tall observation tower with 178 stairs providing panoramic views of the Kettle Moraine area of southeastern Wisconsin. Open seasonally from May 1 through October 31.
• Online Candles / Virtual Candles Online service allowing remote visitors to request candles to be lit by the Carmelite Friars in the Shrine Chapel on their behalf for specific prayer intentions.
• Mass Unions Spiritual enrollment program offering perpetual Mass remembrance, daily prayers, and indulgences through the Discalced Carmelite Friars. Enrollments include Blue Hardcover Mass Union ($25/$40), Health and Healing ($15), Prayerful Remembrance ($15), and Living Lifetime ($15).
• Spiritual Cards Spiritual greeting cards that include enrolled Mass remembrance for various occasions including weddings, baptisms, anniversaries, and remembrances of the deceased.
• Virtual Way of the Cross Recorded virtual pilgrimage of the Stations of the Cross with Archbishop Jerome Listecki, available for viewing online as a digital spiritual devotion resource.
• Basilica and Shrine Worship Services Catholic Mass celebrations including daily and weekend Masses (weekday 6:00 and 11:00 a.m., Saturday Vigil 4:30 p.m., Sundays 8:00, 10:00, and 12:00), Spanish-language Misa en español (Sundays 12:30 p.m.), confessions, eucharistic adoration, benediction, rosary, and Marian devotions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 26,000 pilgrims attended St. Thérèse of Lisieux relics visitation (November 15-18, 2025)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pope Benedict XVI / VaticancoreOthers · 19 November 2006On November 19, 2006 (centennial of Discalced Carmelite presence), the Shrine was elevated to the status of Minor Basilica by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. This designation indicates a special bond of communion with the pope.
• Discalced Carmelite Friars of BavariacoreOthers · 26 June 1906Group of Discalced Carmelites came from Bavaria at the invitation of Archbishop Sebastian Messmer. The Shrine of Mary was put under their care on June 26, 1906, and they have been the custodians of this sacred place ever since. First friars were Fathers Eliseus Mackina and Irenaeus Berndi and Brothers Adam Modimayer and Alphonse Merl.
• Archbishop Sebastian G. MessmercoreOthersArchbishop of Milwaukee who invited the Discalced Carmelite Friars from Bavaria to staff the Shrine in 1906, offered the hill to the Order of Friars Minor and Capuchin before placing it under Discalced Carmelite care, and placed the cornerstone of the third shrine on August 22, 1926.
• St. Mary's of the Hill ParishminorOthersParish staffed by a priest of the Holy Hill Community, located on the grounds below the shrine church opposite the lower level parking lot. Parish activities include CCD programs and Sunday liturgy held in the parish center.
• Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Washington Province)coreOthersIn 1947, monasteries in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Washington DC were joined to a 1916 Spanish foundation to become the first Discalced Carmelite Province in the United States. The Province sends funds to assist less fortunate communities and missions, including Nairobi, Kenya.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St. Meinrad Archabbey: A Benedictine monastery in Indiana operating retreat programs, a guesthouse, and a seminary/school of theology. Comparable to Holy Hill in combining monastic community life, retreat/guesthouse accommodations, and Catholic spiritual programming.
• Monastery of the Holy Spirit (Conyers, GA): A Trappist monastery in Georgia known for its bonsai and stained glass, retreats, and large visitor/gift shop operations. Comparable to Holy Hill as a contemplative monastic community hosting visitors with a retail store and retreat facilities.
• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: The largest Catholic church in North America, located in Washington, D.C., and the preeminent Roman Catholic national shrine in the U.S. Directly comparable to Holy Hill as a designated Catholic basilica serving as a national pilgrimage destination with on-site retail and visitor services.
• Mission San Juan Capistrano: A historic Catholic mission site in California managed as a museum and pilgrimage destination. Comparable to Holy Hill in operating a preserved religious heritage site with paid admissions, gift store, retreat space, and tourism programming.
• Santuario de Chimayó: A historic Catholic pilgrimage site in New Mexico receiving hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually, especially during Holy Week. Comparable to Holy Hill as a high-traffic Catholic pilgrimage destination with heritage devotional significance.
• The National Shrine of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (Auriesville, NY): A Catholic pilgrimage site in upstate New York with museum, gift shop, and retreat facilities dedicated to St. Thérèse. Directly comparable to Holy Hill given both sites' devotion to St. Thérèse and the recent relics visitation hosted at Holy Hill.
• National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa: A Marian Catholic shrine in Doylestown, Pennsylvania drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually. Directly comparable to Holy Hill as a Marian pilgrimage destination with monastery grounds, retreats, and a gift shop.

Broad incumbents

• Washington National Cathedral: A large, established Episcopal cathedral in Washington, D.C. operating as both an active house of worship and a major tourism attraction with a gift shop and visitor programming. Comparable as a higher-profile, larger-scale historic religious landmark with tourism operations.

Regional players

• Ave Maria Oratory: A Catholic pilgrimage church in Ave Maria, Florida with Mass schedule, devotions, and visitor services. Comparable to Holy Hill as a contemporary Catholic pilgrimage destination with regular devotion programming.
• Assumption Grotto Grotto of the Redemption: The Grotto of the Redemption in Iowa is a religious shrine carved of precious stones drawing ~100,000 annual visitors. Comparable to Holy Hill as a Midwest religious landmark with tourism infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HolyHillArtsCraftsFair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holy-hill-national-shrine-of-mary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holy Hill Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians