Page 280 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Canada

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SAINTE-ANNE-

DE-BEAUPRÉ

EXPERIENCE Quebec 8am–5pm daily ∑ sanctuairesainteanne.org
⌂ 10018 Ave Royale # Jun–Sep: 7am–9:30pm daily; Oct–May:
The oldest pilgrimage site in North America, Sainte-Anne-
de-Beaupré dates back to 1658. Dedicated to the mother
of the Virgin Mary and Quebec’s patron saint, it is one of
Canada’s most sacred places.
In the 1650s, a group of sailors who landed here after
surviving a shipwreck vowed to build a chapel in honor
of St. Anne, who is said to have healing powers. The
present Neo-Romanesque basilica was built in 1926–46,
and was the fifth church to be built on this site. Over
800,000 visitors now visit every year, and pillars by the
entrance are covered with the crutches of worshippers
who claim to have been cured by St. Anne. The dome-
vaulted ceiling is decorated with gold mosaics portraying
the life of the saint. A separate building next to the main
shrine features two floors of religious exhibitions on
St. Anne and 300 years of pilgramage to this holy site.

The gold statue that sits on top of the
facade was saved from the fire that
destroyed the 19th-century basilica.
Stained-glass windows show
the progress of pilgrims through
the shrine, with the rose window
as the centerpiece.

BASILICA STATUS
In 1876, St. Anne was proclaimed
patron saint of Quebec, and in 1887
the existing church was granted Entrance to the
basilica status. The Redemptorist basilica’s upper floor
order became the guardians of the
shrine in 1878.

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