A place of wonders: our visit to the famous church in Trois-Rivières

When traveling through the Canadian province of Quebec, there is really no getting around this church. We are talking about the imposing church in Trois-Rivières, the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap.

The History: From a Wooden Cabin to a National Shrine

The history of the Sanctuaire begins with the courage of the early French settlers in the 17th century. For them, their faith in the Virgin Mary formed a spiritual shield against the unpredictable wilderness and the dangers of crossing the Atlantic. In 1659, they built a modest wooden chapel in Cap-de-la-Madeleine.

A few years later, in 1694, Father Paul Vachon founded a confraternity for the prayer of the Rosary. He laid the foundation for the Rosary tradition that characterizes the Sanctuaire to this day.

The original wooden church was replaced by a fieldstone building in 1720. An exciting side detail: The old wood from the first chapel was not thrown away. The hand-hewn beams are still in the foundation today. So you are literally walking on the history of the very first settlers.

After Father Vachon died, nothing happened for over 100 years. The reason for this: there was no permanent priest on site.

That only changed in 1867 with the arrival of Father Luc Desilets. He found a congregation whose spiritual zeal had waned. With a lot of dedication, he managed to make the church and the Rosary prayer popular again among the residents of the community. The influx of believers increased, and the 1720 chapel reached its capacity limits.

The Ice Bridge Miracle of 1879

The construction of a larger church in Trois-Rivières had become unavoidable in 1878. The biggest challenge was transporting the heavy stones from the opposite bank of the St. Lawrence River.

Normally, the river froze over reliably in winter, so the stones could have been brought to the other bank. But the winter of 1879 was exceptionally mild, and the water remained open. Father Desilets and his congregation prayed a lot and promised the Virgin Mary to preserve the old church if she would make the construction of the new church possible.

In mid-March 1879, the unexpected happened. Drift ice from nearby Lake St-Pierre jammed at the cape and formed a narrow bridge across the river. The parishioners began to reinforce this ice by piling on water and snow. This allowed them to create a stable path for horse-drawn sleighs and transport the building material across the river.

After one week, immediately following the completion of the transport work, the ice bridge collapsed.

The “Miracle of the Eyes” and the International Breakthrough

On June 22, 1888, the second miracle occurred, which made the place internationally known. During a prayer at the opening of the church, three witnesses – including the Blessed Father Frédéric Janssoone – reported that the statue of Mary opened its eyelids right before their eyes. Since that day, people from all over the world have made pilgrimages to this special church in Trois-Rivières to pause before the statue.

Architecture That Astounds: The Modern Basilica

We arrived at the Sanctuaire on a rainy day. After parking our car in the large, free parking lot, we were first drawn to the gardens. Everything is spacious and green; statues and small chapels stand everywhere among the trees. A real highlight is the path directly on the banks of the St. Lawrence River.

Various meditative paths lead through the park. The “Way of the Rosary” leads past 15 bronze statues that were cast in France. Each station represents a mystery of the rosary. Parallel to this, there is a “Way of the Cross” with life-size statues. The design of the gardens follows a theological concept that culminates in a replica of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

As the rain gets a little heavier, we “flee” into the church. Today’s basilica, an imposing building in the Norman-Gothic style, was built between 1955 and 1964. Due to the difficult subsoil of sand and clay, it stands on 195 foundation piles that were driven up to 27.5 meters deep into the ground.

The nave is huge, with seating for 1,660 people. I find the octagonal shape and the pyramid-shaped dome very interesting. Just this shape alone, the lack of pillars, and the size gave me the feeling of being in a concert hall. Were it not for the beautiful windows, the altar, and the organ that make the room a church.

The stained glass by the Dutch Father Jan Tillemans impresses me greatly. The windows were crafted using medieval techniques. The basilica also houses one of the largest organs in Canada. The instrument has 5,425 pipes and a casing in the shape of a maple leaf, taking up the entire back wall of the building. The statue of Mary stands next to the altar and is surrounded by burning candles.

Visitor Information

Address

626 Rue Notre Dame E,
Trois-Rivières, QC G8T 4G9, Kanada

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