A new Marian shrine in Canada

Canmore, Alberta, has a new shrine called Our Lady of the Rockies Church. Bishop William McGrattan of Calgary celebrated Mass at the church on May 30, 2020, designating it as the first Marian shrine in the Diocese of Calgary.

The Virgin Mary is sitting with her son Jesus in a lush Alberta forest, surrounded by deer drinking from a gurgling stream, with the majestic Three Sisters peaks in the background.

“The window cries out to you ‘Rocky Mountains,’ and there is Our Lady in the midst of that,” said Father Nathan Siray, pastor of Our Lady of the Rockies Parish. “That’s kind of our No. 1 devotional image to Our Lady of the Rockies that is completely unique to this building.”

The powerful image is set in custom-made stained glass, one of the focal points of the new US$14.8 million church in the mountain community of Canmore, about 15 miles southeast of Banff. It’s a new church for the parish, which dates back to the 1800s, and the first Marian shrine in the Diocese of Calgary. Pilgrimages, conferences and other events are planned once pandemic restrictions are eased. McGrattan noted that dedication came as Pope Francis led the major shrines worldwide in praying the Rosary to implore Mary’s intercession and protection amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In his homily, McGrattan recognized the spiritual foundation of Our Lady of the Rockies parishioners and the greater reach the church will have as a Marian shrine. “In many ways our diocese, under the patronage of Mary, we should have a shrine church,” McGrattan said. “We should have a place in which people, not only in our own diocese but throughout the world and in Canada, can come as they come to the Rockies to see nature’s cathedral. They can stop and they can pray and they can experience the great presence of God who comes to dwell in our midst in these humble abodes that we build.” Siray said the roughly 300 families of Our Lady of the Rockies Parish were “ecstatic” that the church building was completed and dedicated in May, which the church devotes to Mary.

“It’s going us take time to understand our new identity as a shrine. But the overwhelming sense I get from my people is, ‘This is incredible. Thank you,'” Fr Siray said. “I couldn’t help thinking this church is dedicated to Mary, and Mary was always one humble of heart. She was willing to start small, and great things came from her. I think if we can embrace her spirit, we’re going to do well going forward.”

Adapted from: Crux Now