Family Rosary Pilgrimage to Canada: Day Three

If you thought Day 1 and Day 2’s epic adventures were enough to tire our crew out, think again. That said, it would be hard to top Day 2 for action, which means Day 3 gave us exactly what a group traveling with everyone from toddlers to grandparents needed: a chance to actually take a breath.

It feels a little odd to highlight the hotel breakfast again, but the kitchen staff at the Hilton in Quebec City deserves an honorable mention. They went completely above and beyond with a spread of everything from custom omelets to fresh croissants and smoothies (AGAIN!!). It gave our pilgrims… young and old, the exact amount of fuel required to handle the road. With full bellies and high spirits, we packed up the bus and officially headed off toward Our Lady of the Cape (Notre-Dame-du-Cap).

As our bus headed down the highway, we realized we were tracing an historic holy path. For over 120 years, pilgrims have spiritually and physically connected three massive powerhouses of faith in this region: Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Our Lady of the Cape, and St. Joseph’s Oratory.

In the old days, the faithful didn't have a luxury coach with AC and comfortable seats… they covered this massive distance entirely on foot. Our modern transportation is a little easier on the knees (legs, back, angles and everything else).

This "Holy Triangle" has deep ties to our own retreat family. While Our Lady of the Cape was historically tended to by the Franciscan Friars and the Missionary Oblates, Canada’s most famous Holy Cross saint; Saint André Bessette, who built St. Joseph's Oratory, spent his entire life intimately united in prayer with the happenings at the Cape. We are moving along a true highway of saints.

When we pulled up to the grounds, our first impression was the unusual, modern, gray stone shape of the main basilica. But our tour was instantly drawn away from the massive structure toward a tiny, humble building resting about 100 yards from the entrance.

This was the old church, dating back centuries. Step inside, and you are immediately hit by the sensory reality of the place, a distinct smell of centuries-old liturgical incense mixed with the crisp breeze coming off the river.

Step back outside toward the riverbank, however, and you are hit by a completely different "sacred" aroma… which the locals call "nature", low-tide river mud mixed with a distinct hint of industrial paper mill… Some retreat goers might call it penance. .

We gathered inside the quiet, intimate space, and Father Boby stepped up to explain the incredible history of this significant place. As it turns out, by the mid-19th century, this parish had fallen into a deep spiritual slumber. The turning point began with a rather humorous wake-up call when Father Luc Desilets found a pig inside the church chewing on a rosary. Humbled and insulted, he vowed to bring his parish back to life through the power of the Family Rosary, a move that echoes our own patron, Venerable Patrick Peyton, who famously taught the world that the family that prays together stays together.

The pastor's Rosary crusade worked… almost too well. Soon, the tiny 1714 fieldstone church was overflowing, and they needed to build a larger basilica. There was a problem though! The building stones were on the opposite side of the massive St. Lawrence River, and they couldn't afford a barge. They needed the river to freeze over so they could sled the stones across, but the winter of 1879 was historically mild.

Father Desilets urged his congregation to pray the Rosary for ice. In mid-March, right when the ice should have been melting, a sudden, furious storm packed huge chunks of ice tightly together across the water. Parishioners poured water over the gaps to freeze the path solid, creating the temporary causeway affectionately named the "Rosary Bridge". For eight days, they hauled the massive stones safely across the ice. The moment the last stones were brought over, the weather warmed, and the ice bridge was instantly swept away by the current.

If that wasn’t enough to cement their faith, a few years later, in 1888, Father Desilets, Blessed Frédéric Janssoone, and a parishioner were praying in the old chapel when the statue of Our Lady suddenly opened her eyes wide, looking out at them with an intense expression that lasted for several minutes. To make sure they weren't just going crazy or falling victim to some strange trick of the light, the men actually moved around the church, changing their angles to test the perspective. But there was no denying it… the phenomenon was completely real, and all three witnessed the exact same thing.

After experiencing the old chapel and finishing up our intimate retreat Mass, we headed over to the local cafeteria for lunch. The highlight of the meal wasn't just the food, but the chance to mingle and swap stories with other pilgrims whom we see every day but don’t get to chat with too much.

On Day 2, we experienced the faith of the "Eldest Daughter of the Church". Today, we saw the fruit of that divine preservation. It feels like faith is ingrained into the very DNA of French Canada. Even though modern secularism seems to be the order of the day, you cannot escape its history. The names of the places, the streets, the grand structures, and even casual chats with the locals suggest that there was once a deeply spiritual, thriving faith here, and that it is still there, albeit buried deep in the subconscious.

It is fitting that we pray for our Catholic brothers and sisters here in Quebec, that they uncover that treasure again and can someday soon revive that same inner zeal for their faith, just like the miracle of the ice bridge.

Before we packed back into our coach, we tracked down one more monumental piece of history: the visit of Pope John Paul II on September 10, 1984.

The great Pope made history as the first reigning pontiff to step foot on Canadian soil, and he stood right where we were standing. Looking upon that exact same miraculous statue, John Paul II formally consecrated the entire country of Canada to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, delivering a passionate prayer for young people, families, and the renewal of faith across the nation.

For our HFCM retreat group, this felt like the ultimate confirmation of our week's mission. Decades ago, Pope John Paul II built a great relationship with Venerable Patrick Peyton, even mentioning his messages in his Encyclicals. To see the great Pope’s legacy intertwined with the Rosary miracles of the Cape felt like a divine confirmation to our own journey. Father Peyton's message and John Paul II's prayer are alive, well, and driving forward on a coach across Canada! .And so, it was time to pile back on that coach and point our compass toward Montreal.

As we cruised down the highway, the dramatic, sweeping mountain terrain of Quebec City began to soften. Within 20 miles (or something in Kilometers), it flattened out entirely into sprawling cornfields that stretched for miles on either side of the asphalt. The massive multi-lane highway and towering green signs gave off a major US metropolis vibe, until, of course, you caught a flash of a Tim Hortons or noticed that every exit sign was cordially inviting you down a Rue or a Côte.

Eventually, the corn gave way to concrete. After winding through the busy city streets of Montreal for about an hour, we finally arrived at our next temporary residence: the Hilton Montreal.

The drill was fast and furious. We dropped off our heavy bags, bribed the kids with a quick snack, and immediately hit the pavement again. Destination? The historic heart of Old Montreal to see the famous Notre-Dame Basilica.

We were there for AURA… a world-renowned, multimedia light show that takes place entirely inside the basilica.

Calling it a "light show" almost feels like an understatement. It was an expertly choreographed, breathtaking performance of projection mapping, orchestral music, and lasers that danced across the 19th-century architecture. The lights traced the intricate carvings, illuminated the deep blues and golds of the vaulted ceilings, and made the stained glass look like it was alive.

As we streamed out of the Basilica, I wondered how many of this ‘packed house’ would return on Sunday for an infinitely greater event, not just a depiction of something glorious, but glory and majesty Himself.

It was the perfect, vibrant conclusion to another massive day of travel. We walked out into the Montreal night air, moved by how the ancient and the modern can collide to reveal something truly unique.

Tomorrow, we tackle the final giant of our Holy Triangle: St. Joseph's Oratory, where we'll walk the grounds of Saint André Bessette and see how a humble Holy Cross brother built the largest shrine to Saint Joseph in the entire world.

Until then, we are turning off the lights in Montreal!

HFCM Pilgrimage: Day 3 officially in the books. Goodnight from Montreal!