The Martyrs’ Shrine will be a busy place this weekend.
Starting Friday, the religious sanctuary honouring Canada's first Catholic saints will play host to one of its largest pilgrimages of the year.
“The Shrine is anticipating the arrival of the annual Polish pilgrimage from Barrie and GTA. The Polish pilgrimage has been an event for at least 40 years, and remains one of the largest, expecting around 5,000 participants,” Martyrs’ Shrine director Father John O’Brien said.
“It is one of the top four largest pilgrimages at the Shrine."
According to O’Brien, what makes this particular event unique is that between 500 and 600 participants will arrive by foot after starting a walking pilgrimage last weekend from the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Caledon East.
Founded in 1982, the seven-day spiritual journey begins each year in Caledon and normally features hundreds of pilgrims all taking part in this celebration of Christianity, including three main components of a retreat: Formation, prayer and penance.
“Their route takes them on a backroads of Ontario, and they camp out at churches and fields each evening,” O’Brien says. “They have support vehicles and OPP assistance for the road crossings.”
Once they arrive, the group will camp overnight at the Shrine for two nights.
“They walk to the historic site of St. Ignace II in Tay Township on Saturday, return and have a large outdoor Mass at the Polish Altar at the Shrine on Sunday,” O’Brien explains, noting the Shrine has been a place of prayer for many of Polish descent, dating back to the decades of Communism in their home country.
“Of added significance to their community, is that it is the site of the historic visit of Pope John Paul II, the Polish pope, to Midland in 1984. This year is the 40th anniversary of the papal visit, and a special Mass will be taking place at the Papal Altar on September 15.”
But this isn’t the only significant pilgrimage the Shrine hosts annually.
Adds O’Brien: “The Shrine welcomes more than 30 ethnic-organized pilgrimages each summer, and sees around 100,000 visitors each season.”
