2014 Pilgrimage to the Martyr’s Shrine at Midland

We began at our SSPX church of the Canadian Martyrs in Orillia, Ontario, on Friday, September 26 – the actual feast of the martyrs.  After morning Mass, Frs. Couture & Herkel with a group of 17 young men set out on our journey.  The first day of this pilgrimage was a young men’s hike.  We walked for thirty kilometers, with a few breaks.

The weather was bright and sunny.  We stopped at a large monument dedicated to Samuel de Champlain, the missionaries and the voyageurs in the city park of Orillia for a group photo, and then we pushed on, carrying a processional cross and praying the Rosary.  We met a few friendly people along the way, but the city streets and country trails are generally quiet at this time of year.  

After lunch, a short sermon was given to explain a miracle which happened on Lake Simcoe.  In the summer of 1642, a Huron convert named Armand Andewarahan was the only Christian in a boatful of braves returning from the warpath.  They were crossing Lake Simcoe (which touches the present city of Orillia) when a violent storm began to toss them about and threatened to sink them.  The pagan Indians were singing the death chant.  Armand cried to them with these words: “Comrades, your voices are drowned in this storm.  They can never penetrate into Hell, where your miserable demons are burning.  You call on them in vain.  They cannot hear you.  For me, I shall have recourse to God, for I know that He is everywhere and will surely hear my prayers and, if He wishes, will have pity on us, although you have offended Him.”  Then Armand told them all to bow their heads while he prayed aloud to God.  Suddenly, the water around them became calm and smooth as glass, while elsewhere the storm continued with frantic tumult.  When the Hurons returned home safely, they spread the news of this miracle and there were many converts.

We hope that our pilgrimage, though not miraculous, may please God and bring many graces to our apostolate and our country.  At night we camped at a parishioner’s home in Coldwater, Ontario.  The hot meal, prepared by some good ladies, was welcome.  Fr. Couture entertained the boys with stories of his adventures in Asia.

The official pilgrimage began on Saturday September 27 at 10:30 am.  Our district pilgrimage always takes place on the last Saturday of September.  Over 200 faithful men, women and children assembled at a field called St. Ignace II.  This is the site of a Huron village that was destroyed by Iroquois Indians on March 15-16, 1648.  Two Jesuit priests, St. Jean de Brebeuf and St. Gabriel Lalemant were tortured to death at that time.

The young men, who had walked to Coldwater the day before, rose early enough to walk eight more kilometers to St. Ignace II.  Sr. Mary Raphael and Sr. John Mary Vianney rode a rented bus with 30 parishioners from Toronto, Ontario, to St. Ignace II.  Fr. Sherry drove a bus full of boarding students from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Academy, in New Hamburg, Ontario, to join the pilgrimage.  Fr. Berteaux, the new prior of Levis, Quebec, arrived with van full of French Canadians; they drove through most of the night to arrive on time.  Well done, Father!  Canada is bigger than France!

Once again we had beautiful weather.  After a short sermon and a blessing, the pilgrims departed in three groups: the young and the energetic in front, the Quebecois in the middle, with plenty of energy, and the slower group with the elderly, the baby strollers, and the footsore bringing up the rear.  The local police stopped traffic at one highway crossing, but most of our walk was along a country road and a paved trail.

We reached the Martyr’s shine in Midland, Ontario, in the afternoon.  Those who arrived early had a chance to venerate the relics and explore the many places of prayer on the shrine grounds.  Fr. Couture celebrated a solemn high Mass at an outdoor altar and preached about the spirit of sacrifice.  Examples from Asia came into his sermon at several points, but also examples from the lives of our martyrs.  After Mass we headed as a group to the church to venerate the relics. 

Unfortunately, there was a group that was already using the church when we came.  The shrine authorities asked us not to disturb them and they kindly gave Fr. May a small reliquary of the martyrs with which to bless our faithful outside.  We regret being prevented from venerating the large relic of the skull of St. John de Brebeuf, but we are grateful for what we received.

The day ended with one more adventure.  The parishioners of Orillia rented a community hall and barbequed burgers and sausages as an evening meal for all the pilgrims.  See you next year!