The Indianapolis journal., 1896-08-30
THE AMERICAN LOURDES
SHRINE OF La BONNIE sAINTE ANNE,
FAR DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE.
Extra ordinary and Impressive scenes
Witnessed Within the Church.
Pyramids of Clutches.
Providence Journal.


Providence Journal
Away to the north. some twenty miles
from Quebec far-a-down the ST. Lawrence
is the shrine of La Bonne Ste. Anne. in the
centuries-old village of Ste. Anne de Beau
pre-. II is pilgrimage. indeed TO reach it,
this Lourdes of North America fer which
no Zola has yet arisen. but any discomfort
attendant upon the journey is more than
repaid by the sights and scenes witnessed.
The railroad carrying pilgrims from Quebec
10 Ste. Anne is owned by the Canadian
government. 1t has been consecrated and
blessed by the Cardinal as well as the cars
and the locomotives. 1t is no easy matter
to reach the tiny station from the chateau
or pension privee, in which you may be
stopping in Quebec There are plenty of
saints in the nomenclature of the town. and
you pass through dozens of streets called
after them, feminine and masculine alike,
down, down the steepest of hills. passing
the station from which later on will go TO
Lake St John to catch Ouananiche. and on
to the border of the ST. Charles river.
where hourly trains leave for those who
have faith in the intercession of the good
Ste. Anne. Really there are three ways TO
go. First as a true pilgrim. In this case
belongs, arranges with the railroad and
the priests of Ste. Anne, and the large body
of people are sent by special trains. The
other ways are to go on any of
the morning trains. but to make a
| choice between first and second
| class. AS a premier class is not only
double the cost but practically shuts you
| out from seeing people of the country
| very few sensible travellers enter the cars
| de luxe. The journey occupies but an hour
| but that hour is crowded with its minutes
| of interest. There is no levity whatever
| In the travellers Every one carries a sub
stantial bag filled with food and drink
When on true pilgrimage the cars are
| crowded with the MANNED, the lame the
halt and the blind.
On ordinary occasions every one in three
shows need of aid in bodily ailment Pos
| sibly the most affecting thing is the num-
| ber Of crippled children being carried to
| Ste. Annes shrine by loving hands. Last
| year there were 50.coO pilgrims, the year be-
fore about 100000. As the cynic or the
point Of view a suDerstitious or deeply
| spiritual age this year will see probably
100000 pilgrims at the altars of Ste. Anne
THE ROAD TO THE SHRINE.
To reach the parish in which the shrine
is located one passes along the st. Charles
river through a country beautiful beyond
description. After it empties into the ST.
| Lawrence a splendid vista is obtained of
both shores, the latter and the great walls
| of Quebec rise to form heavy massive
| frame for the picture. When one has as
| sisted for years the Providence youth to
memorize the fact that the falls of Mont
| morenci are 100 feet higher than Niagara
| and that they flow with thunder and roar
into the ST. Lawrence, it is no little satis-
| faction to have eye and ear corroborate
| dry geographical facts Montmorenci
| Falls burst upon you. The train s'ackens
spec, there are plenty Of Oh'sr and Ah's"
while the bridge is slowly crossed the
| great guSh or water caused by the downfall
of this cataract of marvellous beauty.
The train goes on. increases speed, and
| which nestle at the base and in the recesses
| OF the Laurentian mountains. 1t is bit
OF Switzerland in America. The houses are
| just aS tiny and as neat. All have the
| French windows. which open in the middle,
ihwards. The roofs are like the chalets of
the Hartz mountains. They curve and
! the snow may the better slide off in winter
| The long, rectangular spaces of pasture
| deep in clover and look sleek and we'll fed
| The names of the stations LAnge Sardeu
| Chateau Richer. BEAUFORT. would take the
| traveller from times modern to those an
| cient, for since 1850 pious Canadians have
| visited this section to be cured of the va
rious ills that flesh is heir to.
The story of La BOnne, Ste. Anne is that
| early In the seventeenth century. some ma
| rlners from Brittany, navigating the lower
| st. Lawrence. were overtaken by q fearful
| storm. They solemnly vowed to Ste. Anne
mother of the Virgin Mary, that if de-
| livered from the danger which surrounded
them they would build on whatever spot
| they might be able to land a sanctuary
| in her honor. In fulfillment of their vows
| the faithful Breton fishermen erected a
small wooden chapel. still standing. To
my mind this is even more interesting
| than the present Basilica, which is an en-
| largement of a better structure erected in
| l66O The present handsome edifice was
| raised To the dignity of "A Ra aSilica hx
Plus TX. 1t is of pure Corinthian ,archi-
lecture, 152 feet long, GA wide, and cost
| 600. 1t is considered one of the finest
| churches in the provinces its interior being
| full Of decorations of much beauty at the
| fands of great artists. In the center of the
church is Colossal statue of Ste. Anne
| resting on a column of white marble, and
| to these are attached the venerable relics
| faith in which and their touch bringing to
| pass the miracles which have resulted in
| this second Notre Dame de Loudres These
relics are. finger bone to Ste. Anne pro-
| cured by Laval. the first Bishop, when this
| of the saints wrist sent by Leo XIII and a
| portion of the rock from the grotto In
which Ste Anne gave birth to the mother
The great Basilica, with its statue of Ste
Anne. which surmounts the twin towers.
| the crowds upon crowds of people, the mere
| cot of station the aspect Of serenity and
| age in the medieval town cuddling itself
at the base of the everlasting hills. upon
| which hang low the heavy rain clouds are
| simply picture never TO be wiped from the
memory. Ordinarily outing. where SO
| large body of people is embraced has
| some aspect of merriment, even when Of a
| religious or sem-reigious character. One
reads of bicycle parades in connection with
| Christian Erdeavor Conventions and re.
| joices at the same. But for once the two
wheeled vehicle craze is gone. There is
| nothing really depressing even with the
presence of many cripPleS. many feeble
anaernic persons. 1t is the impression of
| a sublime faith. a belief in higher power
| to heal TO cure. TO redress. There are
booths s at fair all around. where en-
| blems. rosaries. prayer-books are sold. Chill
| dren are filling bottles at the front of Ste.
Anne. for this is carried to those too i'll to
| make the pilgrimage themselves and for
whom others come long distances. But
these children do not laugh. There is a
purpose in their acts and that purpose is a
| spiritual one.
SCENES IN THE CHURCH.
Inside the church the scene is even more
/ extraordinary and more impressive. There
| had been pilgrimage from a distant sec
| tion TO the East and this was the second
| sermon preached that morning. as we en-
| tered the church. The Redemptorist Faith
| ers are in charge of the church. and as the
shrine is visited by people from all parts of
! the United States and Canada the sermons
| are delivered as required for the audience
| in German. Italian. Dutch. Flemish. Span
| ish. as well as In English and French. The
| and was for faith and that alone and i'm a
! divine power 10 heal body and soul alike.
| That a perfected body was of little worth
| without a soul healed and cured of all its