Shrine guide uncovers hidden spiritual treasures

Review by TED FITZGERALD
Special to the WCR

And if readers plan to visit Canadian holy places, it’s an indispensable adjunct to any travel kit.

Arranged alphabetically by location and spotted on a map of each province, 170 shrines are described in detail.

Ninety pages, or about half the descriptive portion of the guide, relates to Quebec locations and because shrines are not as much a part of the culture of areas of great distances, none are noted for the Yukon or Nunavut, and only one at Fort Smith, for the Northwest Territories.

The text is highlighted by a selection of black and white photographs.

If readers plan to visit Canadian holy places, it’s an indispensable adjunct to any travel kit.

An introductory section gives excellent background information on the history and significance of the concept of pilgrimage, from the early years of the Christian Church to the present.

Following this is a resume of the role of shrines in Canadian history from the days of New France to post-Vatican II.

Listings for individual sites include access directions and a description of the shrine. Where applicable, for example at the several shrines to Ste-Anne, pilgrimage dates (July 26) are noted and some entries contain references to camping (for example, Alberta’s Lac-Ste-Anne) or accommodations and eating places in the area.

Contact addresses, phone and fax numbers are included for some of the larger shrines. And, handy in areas where there are a number of sites — for example, Quebec City, Montreal — large scale maps are included. Other helpful information under most entries includes notes on the historical background of the area and “Also of Interest” comments.

A welcome aspect of the book is the identification of shrines that tend to be overshadowed by major tourist attractions. So visitors to the famous Pointe-au-Pere lighthouse/museum complex in Quebec might be unaware of its proximity to a Shrine to Ste-Anne.

Or at Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, travellers tend to seek out the historic parish church with its religious/woodcarving museum, perhaps not realizing that a fine Cavalry and Lourdes Grotto are present at the nearby cemetery.

Useful appendices include summary lists of all shrines by province, a list of those that honour St. Anne, and a very short glossary of terms relating to Church architecture.

In general, this book is a pleasure to read, even if travelling to a shrine is not anticipated in the near future.

Some however will wait with impatient anticipation for the Canadian spring to return to make their own pilgrimage to some of these fascinating, historical northern holy places.

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