On 25th and 26th of April, Shalom Catholic Community in Toronto promoted the third edition of the pilgrimage to the Oratory of Saint Joseph in Montreal, Quebec. Once a year, since 2012, with the exception of 2014, the community organizes a pilgrimage to sacred Catholic places in Canada. This initiative is an important way to get people to know more about the presence of our Church in Canada through these places built to pay devotion to saints who lived at different times in history.
The pilgrimage started in the morning of 25th with the pilgrim’s arrival in the city of Kahnawake, in Quebec, where the Shrine of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is. The group had a guided tour through the place which houses a museum dedicated to teach the visitants, through objects, the history of Saint Kateri´s life, the first North American Native American woman to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. The most important about the sanctuary is the presence of Saint Kateri´s tomb where many devotees come to pray.
After this visit, the pilgrims went to Old Montreal to continue the day of pilgrimage. They visited the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, dedicated to Our Lady the Blessed Virgin. The place was raised to the status of “basilica” by Pope John Paul II in 1982 during his visit to the city and was designated in 1989 by the Government of Canada as National Historic Site of Canada.
In the afternoon of the same day, the group attended the Holy Mass at Saint Louis-de-France Church, in Terrebonne city. On the pilgrim’s arrival, they were warmly welcomed by Father Jean Thomas a friend of Shalom Catholic Community and a member of the Saint John Community. He co-celebrated the Holy Mass in Portuguese addressing himself to the pilgrims. Right after the celebration father Jean Thomas invited the group to the parish hall to have dinner with him and be part of this moment of conviviality, specially prepared by the members of Saint Louis-de-France Church.
In the morning of 26th, second and last day of the pilgrimage, the destination was the Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, the world’s largest shrine dedicated to Saint Joseph and Canada’s largest church. Once there, the pilgrims participated in the Holy Mass and lit candles, paying devotion to Saint Joseph, Patron of Canada. They also took the opportunity to know the history of the shrine that began with Saint André Bessette. His devotion inspired him to build the Saint Joseph Chapel in 1904; a place located beside the Oratory and also a pilgrimage site where the group could see the heart of the saint.
The 2015 pilgrimage ended with a lunch at the beginning of the afternoon and the return to Toronto. Next year, during the spring, Shalom Catholic Community in Toronto will promote the 4th edition of the pilgrimage. This time, the pilgrims will be visiting the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, located in the small city of the same name, east of Quebec City. Everyone is invited to join and participate in this moment of prayer, praise and devotion. The Community is looking forward to seeing you at the 2016 pilgrimage.