[copyright 2017: Dennis M. Doiron]
From Lévis we crossed to Québec by boat, after which we hired a carriage driver, Monsieur Gaudios Boivin, who drove us throughout the city along the major streets and gave us information in the best possible manner.
A view of Québec from Lévis, circa 1902.
Digital Collections of the New York Public Library:
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-9a86-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.
Digital Collections of the New York Public Library:
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-9a86-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.
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We stopped at the cathedral, but because time was running short, we offered only a brief prayer in memory of our passage to Québec, and from there we went
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to the citadel where a young Irishman who was on guard duty escorted us to the top of the citadel. I am sorry to say I can not write down his name, but if I can give a description, I can tell you that he was a young soldier who arrived from Ireland only three months ago, but seemed very well mannered and, moreover, was handsome in a refined way.
After visiting the citadel, we returned to our carriage which was waiting for us. We gave our thanks to the young man who had accompanied us. After that, we went to the Hotel Saint Louis where we had a well-deserved lunch after our exhausting trip.
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Entrance to the Citadelle in the early 1900s.
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After leaving the Hotel Saint Louis, we went to Laval University to visit the museum which, by all reports, has a comprehensive collection. We visited all the rooms with a young Canadian man as a guide who received us in a friendly way.
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After seeing the entire museum, we registered our names in the guest book. Noticing that we were living in the United States, the guide began to talk to us on various topics that very much interested us, but given that we had so little time before we had to leave for Sainte-Anne, it was impossible to prolong our conversation. We gave him our thanks and left thoroughly delighted by our visit.
As it was necessary to think about leaving for Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, we left for the Charlevoix and Montmorency Station. Being a little unfamiliar with the city, we went instead to the Grand Depot, and, realizing that it was not Charlevoix Station, we started looking for it. Fortunately, a young man who was also going to Sainte-Anne offered to lead us to the station, which we found to be in bad repair.
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Arriving at the station, we purchased round-trip tickets for Sainte-Anne. It was
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four-thirty, but the train was not supposed to depart until five o’clock. Despite that, we went to sit in the train where, to shorten the time a little, I went to work writing these notes. But let me return a little to our visit to Québec City to mention that we saw Monsieur Belanger, formerly of Sanford, but we greeted him only in passing.
At five o’clock, we left Québec for Sainte-Anne. We made the trip in an hour. We arrived at six o’clock in the evening and immediately went to the American Hotel owned by M.E. Morel. We had supper and then made a short visit to the Church of Sainte-Anne and to the store of the Redemptorist Fathers, where we purchased some religious items for ourselves and for our relatives and friends in Sanford so that they would have a small souvenir honoring
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General view of Sainte-Anne-d-Beaupré,
with the Saint Lawrence River in the background.
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In a pilgrimage coming from Joliette, there was a nun who was paralyzed. Four men carried her off the carriage and into the church. She was not able to make any movement on her own while taking communion. She even had to have her head supported by others so that she could receive it. After the the mass, and to the great surprise of all, she was able to walk out of the church without help from anyone. She still had some trouble walking, it is true, but “miracle,” she was healed. Her faith had saved her.
Le Soleil, July 4, 1898. Québec City.
This article was published more than a week after the event was witnessed and described by Odelie. It reads: “A Striking Miracle at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. It has been reported to us that an edifying miracle occurred during the course of the past week at the Sanctuary of the Good Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré. A nun in an order established in the United States, totally paralyzed, and to whom the assiduous care of the best doctors could not help, obtained from her superior permission to visit the sanctuary of Ste-Anne. She was transported there in a carrying chair. She attended communion and then asked to venerate the holy relic. She was carried in the arms of others to the Holy Table. She no sooner kissed the relic when she stood suddenly, transfigured in joy. She was healed. She walked the length of the nave while singing the “Magnificat.” This event profoundly impressed the faithful who were present.” [Translation by Dennis M. Doiron.]
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There was also a young man in the same pilgrimage who could only walk with the aid of two crutches, and this morning he was able to board the train while walking easily. He had deposited his crutches as a votive offering at the feet of Saint Anne.
A married man in his thirties arrived this morning on a pilgrimage coming from
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Montmorency. He had a leg that was completely lifeless. He had gone to kneel at the foot of Saint Anne and, crying with abundant tears, he begged this good mother to bring him back to health. Without doubt Saint Anne understood his prayer, which seemed so fervent. At the moment that communion was offered, he came with the other pilgrims and returned to his pew without his crutch. After having thanked this good mother, he deposited his crutch, which seemed to be a reminder which would call him back every year to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré to thank her for her favors.
All these prodigies made a great impression on us, but nothing touched me more than this small scene which unrolled before our eyes. A young girl about fifteen years old, beautiful, gentle, and seemingly in good health, suffered from a nervous disorder. She continuously laughed in loud bursts in the church. She was accompanied by her mother, who, all in tears, implored this good mother who always came to us
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when we prayed with fervor. “Return my child to good health, oh good Saint Anne” she cried with all her strength. But we did not observe her healing.
After a very restful night, we went to mass at eight o’clock in the morning. The church was packed with pilgrims who had to depart at nine o’clock to return to Joliette. Following the mass, a Revd Father addressed them in the most eloquent language after they had left their requests at the foot of Saint Anne. They went to the train which was waiting for them and, happy to have witnessed several miracles, departed while singing hymns of thanksgiving in honor of Saint Anne.
Church of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré as it would have been seen by Odelie. The church shown in this image was completed in 1876. Destroyed by fire in 1922, it was rebuilt in 1926.
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After the pilgrims departed, we went to have breakfast, after which we returned to make a visit, first to the ancient chapel of the Scala Sancta and to the calvary, and
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then to the cemetery. We read, as it were, all the inscriptions on the stones that had been placed for those resting in this small cemetery. None was known to us, but we were impressed in reading on a gravestone these words: “You, all children of Mary who are visiting me, pray for me.” The thought that we were all consecrated to Mary made us understand that one day, like her, we would ask for prayers from those who, like us, march under the banner of Mary. We said for her a good “Our Father” accompanied by the prayer to the dead, and we continued our route to the cyclorama. From there, we returned to the church to make a last prayer before leaving this magnificent sanctuary from which the entrance impresses the hearts of even the most hardened in seeing so many miracles operate every day, whether spiritual or physical.
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After presenting our thanks to the owner of the house for the welcome that they had shown us, we wished them goodbye and then left for the train which would bring us to Québec City.
After leaving the house, we met Monsieur and Madame Pierre LaFlamme of Berlin Falls [now, Berlin, New Hampshire], but who had once lived in Sanford. We were shocked to observe that he walked with crutches, even though I had been told about the accident that had caused the amputation of his leg.
While we were waiting at the train platform for the train, I met a Monsieur Champoux from Montreal who told me a true story that impressed me so much that I want to write it here as a remarkable fact. His young daughter of about 10 years old had been dangerously sick, even given up for lost by all her doctors. Believing that she was going to die, the doctor
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gave her a dose of poison in a last attempt to save her life. Seeing that she was not responding to the dose that he had administered, they awaited death from one minute to another.
The father himself was also dangerously sick, as was the oldest of his daughters. But in the midst of this suffering, having no hope for her life, their only resource was to seek the aid of Saint Anne by lighting a candle and burning it in her honor. And as the candle burned, the young girl improved, and when the candle was completely burned, the young girl gained consciousness and she sat up by herself on her bed. As without doubt Saint Anne was the author of this miraculous healing, Monsieur Champoux made a pilgrimage to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré with the goal of thanking this good mother for the great favor obtained from her intercession.
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