Historical Summary
Our Lady of the Cape Shrine is Canada’s National Shrine to Our Blessed Mother. It is located at Trois-Rivières, in the district of Cap-de- la-Madeleine, half-way between Montreal and Quebec City. The very first church of Cap-de- la-Madeleine was a small wooden structure built in 1659. Father Paul Vachon, its first resident pastor, instituted the Brotherhood of the Rosary in 1694. In 1714 began the construction of the second parish church that was opened for worship in 1720, replacing the first small wooden church. This second church, presently called the Old Shrine, and made with fieldstones, is still the oldest church in Canada in which Mass is celebrated daily.
Montreal
Quebec
Canada
Saint-lawrence-river
Canada-general
The-rosary
Western-cape
South-africa
Saint-joseph
Paul-vachon
Our-lady
Luc-desilets