QUEBEC
After Sunday Mass and good-byes to reunion friends we drove past Quebec City to the shrine of Ste. Anne De Beaupre. Sailors admired the land in this area and called it beau pre, beautiful priarie. The basilica in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre was initially a shrine to honor Saint Anne built near the town of Beaupre. 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. 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. Many pilgrims came to the shrine hoping to receive a miracle. The present-day basilica was built on the site of the prior church in 1926. Miracles are still believed to be performed at the basilica. When entering the church one can see two pillars filled with racks of crutches, canes, braces, and other signs of disabilities. Every item has been left by a pilgrim who reports being healed at the basilica.
There was even a statue of St. Joachim (above) and an early shrine to St. Ann (below).
After visiting the shrine, we drove back to Quebec City:
Entering through the ancient gate we saw colorful shops and historical monuments.
Quebec has impressive monuments to the nuns who had devoted themselves since 1639
to the instruction and education of the youth of Quebec.
The City Hall (Hotel de Ville de Quebec), once home to the Jesuit College
Notre Dame Cathedral with colorful hedge and golden interior.
Looking down towards lower Quebec City.
Standing high on a bluff overlooking the mighty St. Lawrence River, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is not merely a hotel located in the heart of Old Québec - it is the heart of it.
The promenade by the Frontenac Hotel
Joan and Jim Howe; Jim and Barbara
This was a surprise encounter. We missed the other SOB visitors,
We found a great Italian restaurant nearby for dinner and had some time for a few more pictures of other tourists and the guns protecting the city.