Zone d'identification
Type d'entité
Forme autorisée du nom
forme(s) parallèle(s) du nom
- Sanctuaire des martyrs canadiens
- Martyr's Shrine
Forme(s) du nom normalisée(s) selon d'autres conventions
Autre(s) forme(s) du nom
Numéro d'immatriculation des collectivités
Zone de description
Dates d’existence
Historique
In 1925, the Society of Jesus constructed the current church of the Shrine of the Canadian Martyrs across from the archeological site of Sainte Marie. The shrine replaced a former pilgrimage chapel, first built nearby on “Martyrs’ Hill” in 1907 and rebuilt in 1915-1916 after a tragic fire. Built under the careful watch of architect John Filion, S.J., the Shrine of the Canadian Martyrs was officially opened on June 26, 1926, by Cardinal William Henry O’Connell. As the Canadian Martyrs had not yet been canonized, the church was placed under the patronage of Saint Joseph.
The first director of the Martyrs’ Shrine was Joseph A. Keating, S.J., who was appointed in 1927; he oversaw the completion of the Fort Sainte Marie Inn and the church’s stone towers, as well as the design of the Shrine grounds and outdoor Way of the Cross installation. Thomas J. Lally, S.J., was appointed as director in 1928. In 1930, while adapting to a significant increase in pilgrimages, activity, and interest towards the Shrine, Fr. Lally founded the Martyrs’ Shrine Message quarterly newsletter.
On June 29, 1930, René Goupil, Isaac Jogues, Jean de Lalande, Antoine Daniel, Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier, and Noël Chabanel were canonized by Pope Pius XI in Rome, becoming the first saints of North America. Over seven thousand pilgrims attended an outdoor mass at the Martyrs’ Shrine in their honour, which was presided over by Archbishop McNeil. In 1940, the Jesuits of Upper Canada purchased the land where both archeological sites connected to the martyrs (Sainte Marie and Saint Ignace II) rested, allowing for more extensive archaeological work. Among other discoveries, the graves of Brébeuf and Lalemant were discovered by Denis Hegarty, S.J., in 1954 at Saint Marie. On June 26, 1949, the skull of Brébeuf was brought to the Martyrs’ Shrine by pilgrims from Québec.
Fr. Lally remained as director until 1953, and his successor John F. McCaffrey, S.J., was replaced in 1969 by Angus J. Macdougall, S.J. Fr. Macdougall’s time as director included many changes: the number of pilgrims reached over two hundred thousand per year; Fort Sainte Marie Inn had become a fire hazard, which forced its destruction; in order to pay for the Shrine’s upkeep, Fr. McDougall introduced a one-dollar gate fee. Macdougall also negotiated for bilingual highway signs to direct people to the Shrine.
In 1974, by J. Winston Rye, S.J. was appointed director of the Shrine. Fr. Rye worked with numerous First Nations groups in Ontario to erect “The Natives’ Prayer Garden” in 1976. Fr. Rye served as director until 1979, when he was succeeded by Edwin Merchant, S.J. Fr. Merchant welcomed the governor general of Canada, Edward Schreyer, to the Shrine in 1980, drawing national attention to the Martyrs’ Shrine.
Another notable guest to the shrine was Pope John Paul II, who visited the Martyr’s Shrine in 1984 during his tour of Canada. James J Farrell, S.J., who had become director in 1981, worked tirelessly for over a year to prepare for this televised visit, and constructed the Shrine’s Filion Centre in response to ever-increasing pilgrimages.
The Martyrs’ Shrine continues to welcome numerous pilgrims, school groups, and other visitors every year from May to October. Additionally, as of 2017, the Martyr’s Shrine is associated with the Jesuit community in Midland, Ontario.