Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica |
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| Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap | |
Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica
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| Location | Trois-Rivières, Quebec |
| Country | Canada |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Minor basilica |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Norman-Gothic |
The Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap is a special church in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. It is known as Canada's national shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This means it's a very important place for Catholic people who want to honor Mary. It is one of five national shrines in Canada. Every year, thousands of Catholic pilgrims visit this site.
Contents
History of the Basilica
Early Churches and Growth
The very first church in the area of Cap-de-la-Madeleine was a small building made of wood. It was built way back in 1659. Later, in 1694, the first priest to live there, Father Paul Vachon, started a special group called the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary.
In 1720, the wooden church was replaced. A new church was built using fieldstone. The old wooden beams from the first church were actually used in building this new stone church. Father Vachon passed away in 1729 and was buried inside this church.
For a long time, the parish didn't have a priest living there regularly. Because of this, the church was not well looked after.
A New Beginning and the Ice Bridge
In 1867, Father Luc Desilets became the priest at Cap-de-la-Madeleine. He encouraged people to pray the rosary again. More people started coming to church, and soon a bigger church was needed.
Building a new church was hard because it was difficult to bring materials to the site. But in March 1879, something amazing happened. Even though it was a mild winter, a small part of the St. Lawrence River froze enough. Father Louis-Eugene Duguay and some church members added more snow and water to the ice. They managed to build a narrow ice bridge, about a mile and a half long!
This ice bridge stayed strong for a whole week. This allowed them to pull building materials across the river using horse-drawn sleds. The people believed that their success was a miracle, helped by the Blessed Mother. In October 1880, the third church was finished. It was dedicated to Sainte-Marie-Madeleine.
The Shrine and Its Development
Father Desilets had promised the Blessed Virgin that he would not tear down the old stone church. Instead, he dedicated it to Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. The first special trip, or pilgrimage, to the Sanctuary happened on May 7, 1883.
Father Desilets died shortly after this, and Father Duguay became the new priest. Another important person, Father Janssoone, took over managing the shrine. He added a "Way of the Cross," which is a path with bronze statues showing different moments from Jesus's journey.
As more people visited the shrine, the priests asked the bishop to assign someone to look after it full-time. In 1902, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate became the guardians of the Shrine. Starting in 1906, they created a "Way of the Rosary." This path has a series of bronze statues, made in France, each showing one of the fifteen traditional mysteries of the rosary.
In October 1904, Pope Pius X gave permission for a special crowning of the statue of Our Lady of the Cape. This is called a canonical coronation. In 1964, the large church you see today was officially opened. The sanctuary then became a minor basilica, which is a special title given by the Pope. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate still manage the shrine today.
Pope John Paul II visited the basilica in September 1984. Father Janssoone, who helped develop the shrine, was declared "blessed" by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988.
Architecture of the Basilica
The church that was finished in 1888 was taken down in 1963. This was done to make space for the large square in front of the current basilica. Some of its stones were saved and used to add to the very first church in 1973.
The current basilica was designed by an architect named Adrien Dufresne. It opened in 1964 and is very large. It can hold up to 1,660 people inside! The building has strong reinforced concrete arches that give it its shape.
Inside, the church has a huge Casavant organ. This organ is made up of 5,425 pipes! The beautiful stained glass windows were created by a Dutch Oblate priest named Father Jan Tillemans.
See also
In Spanish: Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Cabo (Trois-Rivières) para niños
