Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-15
PILGRIMS IN THRoNGS.
Thousands Have Visited a Shrina
Near Quebec, Canada. 4

From the Brooklyn Eagle
never were there so many pilgrimages to.
the shrine Of Ste. Anne de Baupre, just out
side the city limits of Quebec, in the same
space of time as during the summer Of
1902; never was the cult of the great thau-
maturgus of Canada so fervent and sincerely
never were so many miraculous cures re-
ported from the Bethesda springs on ths'
banks of the st. Lawrence, and never have
so many unfortunate sufferers made the
long journey from their homes to seek res
lief among the relics of the Virgin Mary's.
mother. only to return home with their asa
plrations ungratified and their bodily ils'
uncured.
Not all who go from far and near to-
kneel In the sanctuary of the saint are in
huenced to undertake the journey by the
sole desire for miraculous relief from bodily
pain and suffering. Many go there every
day who are not lame, nor halt. nor blind,
Tor sometimes as many as 10000 people
visit the shrine in single day, and already
the NUMBER OF pilgrims who have knelt at
the shrine during the present season is in
excess of 100000, against 100000 to the
same date last year.
These pilgrimages are from all parts Oft
Canada and the United States Some Of
them embrace whole congregations and
even whole parishes, accompanied by their
priests and often by bishops. Many pill
grfms go in small private parties, and ther8i
are, of course, large number of Individual
pilgrims Some go to seek the favor of the
saint in their own behalf, while others take
with them their sick friends and relatives,
or go alone to crave their cure. Some SEEK
spiritual favors only, but these are in thel
great minority.
The entire village of Ste. Anne de Beau-s
pre-, and a pretty large one It Is, too, isl
more or less connected with the sault of the
saint. But for this there would probably be
no village there at all, for there is cer~1
tainly no other reason for one in that!
An 49, 49,
been built out into the st. Lawrence to &C. !
commodate all the steamboats, bringing pill
grims there. A railway has been built
from Quebec, twenty-one miles distant, !
with a double Ike of rails, arranged for,
both electric and steam railway trains, to-
convey there the pilgrims who prefer tot
travel by land.
The church, or, rather basilica contains
ing the shrine Of the saint and the sacredi
relics, is a magnificent stone structure
costing over quarter Of million or dol~
lars. Around it are grouped nearly a score
of beautiful chapels A short distancei
away is the Scala Sancta, of which some-i
thing must be said later. The presbyterys;
or residence of the priests who serve the
shrine, Is a very large and handsome;
structure. for many clergy are required
here to hear confessions sing the numer-'
GUS masses and benedictions which daily
ascend from the great temple and sur
rounding chapels, present the relics of the
saint for the generation of the faithful and
preach sermons in several languages. There
Is a convent near by, and many large,Y
though cheap, hotels for the accommodation
of pilgrims. These buildings together
with few stores, a factory for the turning
out of sacred statuary and the humbles
homes of those employed about the hotels,
the church, the railway, or who in some
other more OF less direct manner make
their living out of the pilgrims, fill up the
entire village, which Is thus as completely
dependent for existence upon the supernat-
ural powers attributed to Ste. Anne as
Coney Island is upon the pleasure seeking
pilgrimages from Gotham.