On March 16th, a bus of about fifty students, faculty, and staff embarked on OLSWA’s yearly pilgrimage to the Martyrs’ Shrine at Midland, ON, and other holy sites to honour the Canadian Martyrs, on the anniversary of the deaths of Sts. Jean de Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalement. The pilgrimage was led by Prof. John Paul Meenan, who has made the journey every year since the Academy was founded. Fr. Brian Christie of St. Hedwig’s Parish also accompanied the pilgrims. There was an air of anticipation as the students set out on their long drive, praying a Rosary with the intention that their day would be spiritually fruitful.

The first stop of the pilgrimage was the Martyrs’ Shrine itself. A few other groups who have also taken up the Academy’s annual tradition joined OLSWA at the shrine, and it was inspiring to see over one hundred pilgrims now marking this important anniversary in the history of the Church in Canada. The group began by praying the Way of the Cross along the oversized outdoor stations. Afterwards the pilgrims were free to wander the grounds and pray before the many sculptures and memorials to the saints, or to spend time inside the church, which hosts many beautiful works of sacred art and relics. Some students went down to the palisade at the far end of the shrine, where they prayed by the remains of St. Jean de Brébeuf and St. Gabriel Lalement.

After a quick lunch, the pilgrims were off to the site of the first Mass in Ontario. The thick snow on the country road didn’t stop the students from trekking out to where the great cross and altar stand in commemoration. Once they reached the site, Fr. Christie led the group in prayer, and reminded them how blessed our country is to have the Catholic faith, and how grateful we should be for those first priests, pioneers, and explorers who brought it here and handed it down to us.

The third stop was at St. Louis, where St. Jean de Brébeuf, St. Gabriel Lalement, and a number of Catholic Hurons were taken during an Iroquois raid on the village. Prof. Meenan read aloud an account of their capture, and then led the group in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The visit to the site of the capture was a sobering one. The Martyrs’ Shrine and the place of the first Mass had an air of celebration of all that the saints had accomplished during their lives. Now, the pilgrims knew, they were nearing the place where those same saints met their deaths.

The final destination was St. Ignace, where St. Jean, St. Gabriel, and their companions were brutally tortured to death for their Faith. Prof. Meenan finished reading the account of their holy demise. The students found it moving to know that they were standing in the very place where the saints had given up their lives. They stood or knelt in the snow in silent prayer and meditation, until Fr. Christie called the group to gather around the outdoor altar for Holy Mass, a fitting ending to the day’s spiritual journey.

Afterwards it was time for fellowship and celebration. The group made for nearby Orillia and shared a meal at Pizza Hut, kindly provided by a generous donor. It was a long drive back to Barry’s Bay, but the students enjoyed each others’ company, and it was with perhaps a new appreciation for the valour of the Martyrs that they returned home at the end of the day.