Hanceville is a small city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It has a population of 3,217 according to the 2020 census. This city is home to a number of tourist attractions, including Clarkson Covered Bridge and Our Lady of the Angels Monastery. It’s also home to Southern Adventures, a water park.
Our Lady of the Angels Monastery
The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament at Our Lady of the Angels MonasterY in Hanceville, Alabama is an important Roman Catholic shrine. It is part of the Diocese of Birmingham and is located on a 400-acre site. The shrine is home to the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration and the Brothers of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word. The monastery also has a gift shop and conference rooms.
The Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration live on a 400-acre site at the monastery. Their cloistered life is marked by prayer, thanksgiving, and sacrifice. They follow the example of Saint Clare of Assisi. There are daily Masses, healing services, and daily Confession, and guided tours of the monastery are available.
The monastery was established by Mother Angelica in the early 1990s. It is adjacent to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, which was dedicated in 1999. The monastery has had some changes over the years, as some of the nuns have been sent to the Poor Clares’ cradle monastery in Troyes, France, and Tonopa, Arizona.
The Shrine is located in north central Alabama, in a small town called Hanceville. You can reach the Shrine by driving through the village and passing country stores on the way. The road is curving and lined with white fences. You can stay at a small guesthouse nearby if you’d like to spend the night.
While at the shrine, it’s a good idea to wear modest clothing. The shrine discourages sleeveless tops and miniskirts that reach the knee. You should also wait until the nuns finish singing before leaving the Mass.
The monastery has two churches, the upper church for silent prayer, and the lower church for adoration. The upper church hosts daily Conventual Mass and daily sung Mass for the public. The lower chapel is for pilgrim services. The lower church houses the shrine of the Shroud of Turin, which is a replica of the Blessed Sacrament.
When Mother Angelica visited Bogota, Colombia in 1995, she was inspired to build a shrine honoring the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Five anonymous benefactors gave money to purchase a 400-acre former soybean farm and donated materials for the building. It was dedicated in December 1999.
Southern Adventures water park
Southern Adventures water park is one of the most popular destinations for water park enthusiasts in Hanceville. Located within a one-hour drive of Huntsville and Birmingham, it is home to an expansive 25-acre water park, which draws thousands of visitors each year. While there is no lodging in the town, nearby towns have plenty of lodging options.
