Inspiring breathtaking awe with both its majestic beauty and haunting serenity, the Canadian Rockies have long been an ideal backdrop for any contemplative occasion.

For the second straight year, the Diocese of Calgary is encouraging pilgrims to immerse themselves in the grandeur of this natural wonder and have a transformative encounter with God, aided by the Virgin Mary’s intercession and St. Francis of Assisi’s model of selfless discipleship.

St. Mary’s Church in Banff and the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies in Canmore are co-hosting the 2026 Marian Week in the Rockies from Aug. 15-22 during the Jubilee Year of St. Francis.

Advertisement

Fr. Dan Stevenot and Fr. Pilmaiken Lezano, the pastors of Banff and Canmore, respectively, connect with travellers from distant lands year-round because they serve in communities globally recognized as tourism hotspots. But the nature of this diocesan initiative, said Stevenot, invites him and Lezano to engage with pilgrims from near and far in a special way.

“We have visitors that come from all over the world, and especially the Catholic world, and they can go on pilgrimage from St. Mary's in Banff to the shrine in Canmore and receive the prayers of the bishop,” said Stevenot. “We give them a passport stamp to say that they are pilgrims and can share their devotion to Jesus, especially His Blessed Mother.”

Lezano said Marian Week in the Rockies is a celebration that emotionally links him to his hometown of Puno, Peru, which honours Mary, the Mother of God, each Feb. 2, with the Festivity of Virgen de la Candelaria.

“I connected almost immediately to my hometown with the celebration here at the Shrine,” said Lezano. "This week highlights the humility and the willingness of the Blessed Virgin Mary to accept the Word of God into her womb and how we are invited to mirror that same openness and ponder her humility. It is just very close to my heart.”

Advertisement

The eight-day sojourn in the mountains, of which each participant may self-determine their level of involvement, begins with Bishop William McGrattan celebrating an opening Mass on Aug. 15 in Banff to commemorate the Solemnity of the Assumption.

Day two in Canmore is highlighted by Calgary Catholic composer Carlos Foggin conducting a concert titled “The Sun, the Stars and the Queen of Heaven.” This program of sacred music, beginning at 2 p.m. local time, features Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, classical standards and a musical Liturgy of the Hours.

The week of Aug. 17-21 is framed daily with 11 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of the Rockies and 6:30 p.m. Mass at St. Mary’s. A talk at 12 p.m. and a Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m. round out the itinerary in Canmore.

Guest speakers include Franciscan Friars Aldin Canobas, OFM, and Brandon Paziuk, OFM; Fr. Fabio De Souza, spiritual advisor to the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary and pastor of St. Peter’s Parish; and Lonergan Research Institute scholar Dr. Liam Farrer.

McGrattan concludes the pilgrimage in the Rockies on Aug. 22 with a 11 a.m. Mass at the Shrine Church in observance of the Feast of Queenship of Mary.

Advertisement

Lezano anticipates a poignant week based on the heartening sights and sounds he observed throughout the inaugural diocesan pilgrimage in 2025.

“We hosted the concert by Carlos Foggin last year and it was the first time that I listened to the voices and instruments they brought to the shrine and how our voices raised up to praise the Lord twice as we sang together,” said Lezano. "Also, the number of pilgrims we had was phenomenal, and the many testimonies of faith and graces granted by the intersection of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the people who came through was something that really stood out.”