Shrines and Pilgrimage Sites

On a cold and snowy Feb. 13, Montreal's St. Joseph’s Oratory officially opened a newly constructed, four-level welcome centre to visitors.

Even though a pilgrimage peak is some months away, the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes celebrated its wintery feast day Feb. 11 with a number of pilgrims who flocked to the French holy site on the anniversary of the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin to St. Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.

Saint Paul University is offering a unique interactive course next spring that will allow students and the public alike to traverse part of a major historic Christian pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago.

River flooding forced the temporary closure of the famous grotto at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France. The shrine complex remained open to visitors. A morning Mass, however, was canceled Sept. 7 at the major Catholic pilgrimage site, which has experienced several major floods in recent years.

If there is one place in the world where it's worth spending the Aug. 15 feast of the Assumption at least once in a lifetime, it's the Marian shrine of Lourdes. The national pilgrimage to Lourdes is currently underway -- Aug. 12 to 16, attracting a record number of pilgrims.

Thousands of pilgrims from across the globe flocked to the Basilica of St. Anne de Beaupre, Que., over nine days in late July to prayerfully participate in an annual novena dedicated to the grandmother of Christ.

Leading up to its 100th anniversary in 2026, Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ont., is launching a major fundraising campaign to ensure it another 100 years of service to pilgrims.