Last time I was in Canada I can remember seeing the spires of the Basilica of St-Anne-de-Beaupré so after our hike and climb in the park near Stoneham-Tewkesbury we decided to give Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré a visit.
On a day like the day we visited it's not hard to imagine why it draws so many people to visit it. It's like a dazzling beacon in the sunlight. As the oldest pelgrimage site in North America it draws nearly a million and a half visitors each year. It's history dates back to 1658 when the first church and shrine was built on the site. And it's first reported miracle at the site happened during the shrine’s construction. A man named Louis Guimond was hired to help build the shrine even though he suffered from rheumatism. After placing three stones upon the shrine’s foundation, Guimond was cured of all his ailments. This was followed by other testimonies of healed people and shrine soon grew in popularity. After being destroyed by fires and having been demolished to make more room for the worshippers that visited, the present basilica dates from 1923. I have only two photos to show of the inside, all the other pics I have binned as they were all a blur. This first one is also blurry but it was something that caught my eye as I was leaving. Attached to the pilars are the walking canes and crutches of people who have left the basilica healed of their ailments. Despite the blurriness of the image I felt it was worth showing.
This second image is of the ceilings inside. They are awe inspiring. As someone who is a non believer (an atheist to be precise), the details and love put into these ceilings are truly remarkable.
More info on the basilica can be found here and more info on who Saint Anne, the patron saint of Quebec, was can be found here
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