In this blog about our trip to Old Quebec City, we had taken a bus tour northeast of the city to explore
various places. The last place along the bus trip was a massive
Cathedral in the middle of nowhere. There was a tiny little town center
with about 6 shops, half of which were closed when we arrived, that were
located next to the massive structure. The Cathedral is called Sainte
Anne de Beaupre Basilica and we'll explain the highlights in this blog and provide a lot of pictures.
WHERE IS IT LOCATED? It's not far from the Saint Lawrence
River in Quebec, Canada. Its located 19 miles or 30 kilometers east of Quebec
City and it's huge!
FAMOUS FOR? It has been credited
by the Catholic Church with many miracles of curing the sick and disabled. According
to the basilica's website: People from all around the world come to visit the
basilica. Pillars in the front entrance are covered in crutches from people who
are said by the parishioners to have been miraculously cured and saved.
 |
| a very ornate ceiling |
 |
| A look at the front outside |
WHO WAS SAINT ANNE? Well, it seems the
church is still trying to figure that out!
St.
Anne is believed, by the pious, to obtain miracles through her intercession. According
to the basilica's website, though, "Historically
speaking, we know very little about Saint Anne. The Bible says nothing about
her, whereas other writings that circulated in the early Church speak about her
at great length."
WHERE DID THE LAND COME
FROM? On March 8, 1658, a man by the name of
Etienne de Lessard donated two frontal acres from the West end of his property
to the Catholic Church so that a chapel could be built. This chapel eventually
became the site of the modern-day basilica. It was built for two reasons: to
provide a place of worship for the new settlers in the area and to house a
miraculous statue of St. Anne.
 |
| Side view |
 |
| the transcept |
CREEPY PART- The statue of Saint
Anne actually has bones from her forearms (which were removed from her corpse) that are encased in glass that
visitors can see.
IT'S A
MIRACLE - The 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 the shrine soon grew in
popularity.
 |
| the altar |
 |
| Shroud of Turin repllica |
BUILDING
HISTORY & ARCHITECT: In 1876, the first basilica opened for
worship. The former basilica was destroyed in a fire on March 29, 1922. The
present-day basilica was built on the site of the prior church in 1926. Architects
Maxime Roisin, Louis N. Audet and Joseph-Égilde-Césaire Daoust collaborated on
the project from 1923-1931. After the end of the financial recession, the work
on the interior resumed in 1937, and was finally completed in 1946
 |
| religious statue |
SIZE OF THE BUILDING: Total length : 105
meters (344 ft)
 |
| Looking from front to the back of the church |
Face
width : 48 meters (157 ft); Transept width : 61 meters (200 ft); Steeple height
: 91 meters (299 ft)
 |
| copy of the Pieta |
THE BASILICA'S WEBSITE:
http://www.sanctuairesainteanne.org
WHERE
IS IT/CONTACT INFO: Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Shrine, 10 018
Avenue Royale, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (QC), G0A 3C0 CANADA
T.: 418-827-3781. Email: secretariat@sanctuairesainteanne.org |
| fountain outside |
 |
| flower in tiles |
 |
| butterfly in tiles |
NEXT: Meet Louis IVX in an Old Quebec Square
