Midland (Ontario), Canada: The Canadian Martyrs Shrine
About the Canadian Martyrs:
About 90 miles north of Toronto is a shrine dedicated to the memory of the 8 brave Jesuit missionaries who arrived here in the 1600’s to minister to the local population, primarily the Huron Indians. Although not trusted by the Huron, eventually they were able to baptize many of them.
They had their share of difficulties, to put it mildly, especially the fact that smallpox was brought over from Europe by some of the settlers and many of the Indians felt that this was a form of witchcraft practiced by the Jesuits. More importantly, since the Jesuits seemed to be allied with the Huron, the Iroquois Indians considered them their enemy.
All were martyred, most after being subjected to severe torture by the Iroquois.
About the Shrine of the Canadian Martyrs:
The shrine is open from early May through the end of October and offers two Masses daily (three in peak season), confessions, facilities for group pilgrimages and a gift shop. It is closed during the winter.
The Feast Day is celebrated on September 26th at the shrine here in Canada. In the U.S., where there is also a Canadian Martyrs Shrine, the Feast Day is October 19th.
There is a chapel where the relics can be viewed during the winter months. There is a small admission charge for the Shrine.
Traveling to the Canadian Martyrs Shrine:
The nearest major city is Toronto. Take route 400 North from Toronto and then turn on to Route 12.
Address: 16163 Highway 12 West, Midland, ON
GPS coordinates: 44° 44′ 12.0552” N, 79° 50′ 31.7004” W
Tel: (+1) 705-526-3788 or toll-free 1-855-526-3788
email: info@martyrs-shrine.com
Click here for the official website of the Canadian Martyrs Shrine.
There is also a Canadian martyrs shrine in the U.S. Click here for our page about the shrine in the U.S..
