Shrine to the Virgin Mary now under construction
Canmore church will become a place of pilgrimage, Bishop says
Work is underway on construction of the first Marian shrine church in the Calgary Catholic Diocese.
Once completed in about 18 months time, Our Lady of the Rockies in Canmore will become a place of pilgrimage and a beacon of hope and devotion, according to Bishop William McGrattan, who made the decision to designate the building a shrine church earlier this month.
Such a designation acknowledges that the church is set aside for a special purpose, in this case as a place of pilgrimage for worshippers wishing to pay homage to the Virgin Mary. The beautiful location on the edge of the majestic Rockies also swayed the bishop in making that decision.
“In certain areas there is a cultural uniqueness that might be evident and so, because of that, sometimes what is established by a bishop is a church which is dedicated for a special purpose, not simply reaching out to the parishioners in a geographical manner,” said McGrattan.
“It is being built right along the highway so I think it will be a beacon and people will be drawn to it, so they will stop and make a visit,” he added.
The current parish church in Canmore — originally named Sacred Heart — has been sold and will close at the end of January. The local priest, Father Wilbert Chin Jon, intends to hold services in the gym of a nearby school until Our Lady Of The Rockies opens in the spring of 2019.
McGrattan said Father Wilbert is taking a keen interest in the future design of the building and wants to incorporate a Tuscan feel to the new church to reflect its proximity to the mountains, similar to the places of worship found in the Alpine regions of northern Italy.
“He is trying to incorporate some of the features you might see in a church in Tuscany. Father Wilbert already has been able to secure some beautiful marble altarpieces and statuary from a church de-commissioned in Chicago,” McGrattan said.
“He has a sense of the tradition and beauty of churches, and we think it will draw people’s attention even as they are going out to the Rockies, as it will be right there on the highway. There will be an invitation to stop, come visit and pray, and an opportunity for people to reconnect with God, not only through nature but through the gift of faith,” added the Bishop.
It was former Bishop Henry who decided upon the Lady of The Rockies name to reflecting devotion to Mary and it was McGrattan’s decision to designate the new building as a shrine church that takes it a step further.
“In this 150th anniversary of Canada, we have dedicated the year to Mary,” he said. “We don’t have a Marian shrine devoted for pilgrimage in the diocese, so this is a welcome opportunity to name it as such.”
The new facility, being built on Palliser Lane, will be able to seat 500 people for mass, as well as having a banquet hall and additional space for some of the special events that a shrine church is expected to stage.
It will be the third Catholic church in Canmore. The first was built after oblate missionaries arrived in 1883 to minister to Canadian Pacific railway workers. When that rail line opened, many immigrants — mostly from Central Europe — came to work in the new coal mines. Sacred Heart parish was formed in 1893 and a small church that could only house 50 people was erected.
It lasted as a place of worship until 1960 when a larger building was required. That second church eventually became too small as the population of Canmore increased along with the number of tourists in the area.
The land for the new building was donated by local businessman Guy Turcotte, while parishioners have helped raise most of the $9 million needed for construction.
Father Wilbert is already planning the extra activities that are expected to play a part in the spiritual life of a shrine church. It is hoped that day retreats, lectures and concerts will be regular events at Our Lady of the Rockies in years to come.
“There is a desire on our part to capture the natural beauty of the setting but to also use the church as a way of seeing beauty and expressing our faith to know God — (with) beauty being an invitation to that relationship,” added McGrattan.