Marie de Nazareth
To Jesus, through Mary
This Marian Shrine, the Canadian National Shrine to Our Blessed Mother, has been entrusted to the care of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate since 1902.
Brief History of the Shrine
The original stone parish church, now known as the Little Old Shrine, was opened for worship in 1720. It is the oldest church preserved in its integrity in the whole of Canada.
In 1854, the year of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, a parishioner donated a statue of the Virgin Mary to the church. Soon the little church was too small for the parish. New stone was prepared on the south shore and the parishioners prayed the Rosary for the river to freeze. The winter continued to be mild and building was brought to a standstill. Father Luke Desilets, their pastor, vowed to preserve the 1720 church and dedicate it to the Virgin Mary: "If you accord us ice on the river for the feast of Saint Joseph, we will not destroy your church, but we will dedicate to your Holy Rosary," he pleaded.
The Ice Bridge
In mid-March 1879, a tremendous storm blew up and a miraculous ice bridge was formed, allowing the people to transport the needed stone across the river. Their prayers had been answered! After hearing Mass in their work clothes, and reciting the Rosary as usual, the parishioners set out under a bright blue sky, with from 80 to 100 wagons, toward the south of the river to start transporting of stones. All of them volunteers, they carted over the stones for eight days in a row, until the octave of Saint Joseph, without any incidents ... When the last of the necessary loads had made the crossing, the ice began to melt.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Holy Rosary
During the years that followed, the old church was also restored, according to Father Desilet's vow. On June 22, 1888 the statue of the Virgin was placed on the altar and the little church was dedicated to Mary's honor, becoming the Shrine.
The Miracle of the Eyes
On that same June 22, 1888, Fr Frederick became the first director of pilgrimages. In the evening, kneeling in front of the altar, along with two other witnesses, he saw the miraculous statue open her eyes. This event would later be called the Miracle of the Eyes.
The Mysteries of the Rosary
To aid pilgrims in meditating the mysteries of the Rosary, 15 bronze monuments representing the mysteries of the Rosary were erected in Our Lady's Garden between 1906 and 1910.
During his trip to Canada, Pope John Paul II came to pray in the small sanctuary and presided an outdoor celebration of the Eucharist before a crowd estimated at more than 75,000 pilgrims.
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