Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica

Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica
Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap
Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica
Location	Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Country	Canada
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Cathedral
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Norman-Gothic

The Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap is a basilica in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. It is the Canada's national shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary and attracts thousands of pilgrims each year.

History

Main article: Our Lady of the Cape

The first church in the district of Cap-de-la-Madeleine was a small wooden structure built in 1659. In 1694, the first resident pastor, Father Paul Vachon, established the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary at Cap de la Madeleine. The small wooden building was replaced by a fieldstone church in 1720. The hand hewn beams from the wooden church were used in the construction of the new stone church. Canon Vachon died in 1729 and is buried in the church.

For a long time the parish was without a resident pastor and fell into neglect. In 1854, parishioner, Zepherin Dorval was heading for the gold fields and in hope of the protection of the Blessed Virgin, donated a statue which depicts Mary as she is said to have appeared to Catherine Laboure in Paris in 1830. In 1867, Father Luc Desilets, pastor at Cap-de-la-Madeleine, re-introduced the praying of the rosary and promoted it among his parishioners. A more regular pastoral presence resulted in increased attendance, and a larger church was needed.

Initially, construction of a new church was hampered by the difficulty of transporting material. However, in mid-March 1879, despite it being an unusually mild winter, a small section of the St. Lawrence River froze sufficiently that, by adding additional snow and water, Father Louis-Eugene Duguay, and some parishioners were able to construct a narrow mile-and- a-half long ice bridge. The ice held for a full week and allowed the building material to be hauled across on horse-drawn sledges. The people attributed their success to the intercession of the Blessed Mother. In October 1880 the finished third church was dedicated to Sainte-Marie-Madeleine.

True to a promise made to the Blessed Virgin, instead of demolishing the old stone church, Desilets dedicated it to Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. Dorval's statue was installed above the altar. The first pilgrimage to the Sanctuary was made on May 7, 1883. On the evening of the formal dedication, June 22, 1888, while praying in the small church, Father Desilets, Franciscan friar Father Frederic Janssoone O.F.M, and a parishioner all seemed to see the statue open its eyes. Desilets died shortly thereafter, and Duguay became pastor. Janssoone took over the responsibility of managing the shrine. As the parish work and number of pilgrims increased, they asked the bishop to appoint a custodian to take over the shrine. In 1902, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate became guardians of the Shrine.

In October 1904, Pope Pius X authorized the canonical coronation of Our Lady of the Cape. In 1964, the present basilica was inaugurated, and the sanctuary officially became a minor basilica. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate continue to operate the shrine.

Father Janssoone was declared blessed by Pope John Paul II on September 25th, 1988.

Architecture

The basilica, using design features of a First Nation teepee, can accommodate up to 1,660 people.

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  Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap Trois-Rivières, Quebec
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  The 20th Century Basilica, Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap Trois-Rivières, Quebec
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  Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap Trois-Rivières, Quebec
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  Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap Trois-Rivières, Quebec
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  Pont Chapelets, Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap Trois-Rivières, Quebec
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  Main Entrance
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  aerial picture of Notre-Dame-du-Cap

External links

• Sanctuaire Notre-Dame du Cap website