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Catholic Sprouts, the daily podcast for Catholic kids that strives to plant seeds of faith.

Hey Sprouts. This is Clara from Holy Heroes, and today I'm going to tell you about the largest wildfire in U.S. history. Have you ever heard of the Pistigo fire? You may have heard about the

Chicago fire, which happened just the day before.

But the largest fire in American history that burned over a million acres is the Pestigo fire.

What you may not have heard is how Our Lady of Champion played a key role in protecting Adele, the children, and the boarding school during this horrible fire.

Just 12 years after Our Lady appeared to Adele, on October 8, 1871, a forest fire ignited near the town

of Pestigo in Wisconsin. It hadn't rained in a long time, so the fire began to spread

quickly. From Pistigo, the fire traveled 60 miles, destroying everything in its path. It was burning

on both sides of the Green Bay and up the peninsula towards St. Mary's Academy and Champion

Wisconsin. By this point, the sky was glowing red and orange, and there

was smoke everywhere. The children were scared, but Adele said, we will not go anywhere. Our

Blessed Mother has never abandoned us, and we will be safe here. She gathered the sisters,

the children, and local neighbors who had fled to the chapel for protection.

Together, they began a procession around the wooden fence which encased the property.

They processed around the chapel yard all night long. Some even processed on their knees.

While walls of fire raged around them, they prayed rosary after rosary,

hoping that somehow the fire would not reach them.

Suddenly, after hours of praying, it began to rain.

The rain poured down and saved this small patch of land

amidst acres and acres of burned property.

The Great Pistigo Fire was the most devastating fire in American history. Dozens of towns on both sides of the bay were completely destroyed and

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