Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré

The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a basilica set along the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, east of Quebec City. It has been credited by the Catholic Church with many miracles of curing the sick and disabled. It is an important Catholic sanctuary which receives about a half-million pilgrims each year, including the Anna Fusco Pilgrimage from Connecticut. The peak period of pilgrimage is around July 26, the feast of Saint Anne, the patron saint of Quebec.LegendSt. Anne is believed, by the pious, to perform miracles. People from all around the world come to visit the basilica. One of the church's builders had crutches; when he finished his work on the church, however, he is said to have been able to walk freely. Pillars in the front entrance are covered in crutches from people who are said by the parishioners to have been miraculously cured and saved.HistoryThe basilica in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré was initially a shrine to honour Saint Anne. On March 8, 1658, a man by the name of Etienne de Lessard donated two frontal acres from the West end of his property to the Catholic Church so that a chapel could be built. This chapel eventually became the site of the modern-day basilica. It was built for two reasons: to provide a place of worship for the new settlers in the area and to house a miraculous statue of St. Anne. The first reported miracle at the site happened during the shrine’s construction. A man named Louis Guimond was hired to help build the shrine even though he suffered from rheumatism. After placing three stones upon the shrine’s foundation, Guimond was cured of all his ailments. This was followed by other testimonies of healed people and the shrine soon grew in popularity. Many pilgrims came to the shrine hoping to receive a miracle while others like Anne of Austria supported the shrine from their homes.