Places of prayer, destinations of faith

A 4 day tour of Quebec
from our Northeastern issue,
Fall 2012.

	Photo: François-Marie-Héraud
	The Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, located in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec, honors St. Mary’s mother, St. Anne

The four National Shrines of Québec inspire peace and tranquility. 

Saint-Anne-de-Beaupré, the oldest shrine just east of Québec City, has been visited by pilgrims for more than 350 years.

Our Lady of the Cape Shrine was founded at Trois-Rivières in 1888. 

Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal was founded in 1904 by Saint Brother André, who was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. 

The Shrine of Saint-Anthony’s Hermitage of Lac Bouchette was founded in 1908. 

Visiting groups can spend an hour or an entire day at the shrines. All are sanctuaries for worship in the Roman Catholic tradition, with Masses in English and French.  Each shrine offers tours, guided and self-guided, with reservations recommended at least a week in advance.

Day One

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal is considered the largest shrine in the world dedicated to St. Joseph, with a 2,200-seat Basilica. 

Climb 283 steps between the street and the Basilica. A flight of 99 wooden steps is reserved for prayer and for religious pilgrims who desire to climb on their knees.

Day Two

Our Lady of the Cape Shrine (or Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap in French) is Canada’s National Shrine to Our Blessed Mother. Located along the St. Lawrence River, more than 250,000 people visit annually. 

The site was first used for a parish church, Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, in 1678. The shrine was opened in 1720, and the church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary in June 1888.

Its basilica, inaugurated in 1964, features magnificent stained-glass windows and a 5,425-pipe  Casavant organ.

The grounds include a restaurant and 113-room hotel.

Trois-Rivières is where the monastic Ursulines spent more than three centuries. Their rich legacy is displayed at Musée des Ursulines.

Musée des Filles de Jésus recounts the history and contributions of the congregation to education, hospitals and missionary work. Include a tour of the Neo-Gothic chapel. Guided tours of the city and its cultural sites are available weekends in the summer.

Day Three

Operated by the Capucin Fathers, St. Anthony’s Hermitage of Lac-Bouchette (or Ermitage Saint-Antoine de Lac-Bouchette in French) is a pilgrimage known for its spiritual approach and beautiful natural environment on the shores of Lac Ouiatchouan in Lac-Bouchette near Lac Saint-Jean.  

The open-air basilica was founded in 1907.

The lakeside grounds include a 270-guest dining room, a 60-room hotel, a campground and cottages. The hermitage offers a bilingual audio-guided tour, group menus and children’s group activities.

Day Four

Head south to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré .

En route is the provincial capital Québec City, with its Historic District of Old Québec along with Church of Notre Dame des Victoires on Place Royale.

On the St. Lawrence River east of Québec City is Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. 

The Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary (St. Mary).

The current Neo-Romanesque Basilica replaced its predecessor, which was destroyed in a March 1922 blaze. Built in the form of a Latin cross topped by twin spires with Québec granite, it includes 240 stained-glass windows.

There is also the Immaculate Conception Chapel, Memorial Chapel, Scala Santa (Holy Stairs), the 14-station Way of the Cross, Sainte-Anne Museum, an ambulatory with 26 stained-glass windows, gardens and a gift shop.

Adjacent to the basilica is the Cyclorama of Jesus, an indoor panorama of Jerusalem and the Holy Land at the time of Jesus Christ on display since 1895. Also in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is Atelier Paré — Economuseum of Woodcarving, which brings famous Quebec legends to life in wood and fiberglass sculptures.

GO
National Shrines of Québec in Lac-Bouchette, Montreal, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and Trois-Rivières

SEE
Our Lady of the Cape Shrine
(819) 374-2441
www.ourladyofthecapeshrine.com

Saint Anthony’s Hermitage of Lac-Bouchette
(800)  868-6344
www.st-antoine.org

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal
(877) 672-8647
www.saint-joseph.org

Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
(418) 827-3782
www.shrinesaintanne.org

ASK
Québec’s National Shrines 
(877) 672-8647, ext. 3181
www.quebecshrines.com

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