I happen to fall on the French version of this article about Notre Dame du Cap (Our Lady of the Cape). This is a sanctuary near Trois-Rivieres, Quebec to which many people travel on a pilgrimage. Although I was born in Cap-de-la-Madeleine (where the sanctuary is located), I'd never heard the story of the sanctuary.
The article has some interesting tidbits, but here's a passage which raised my eyebrows:
The 50th Anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception creates an atmosphere of extraordinary Marian enthusiasm in the whole Catholic world. In Canada, Catholics are overjoyed when they learn that the Pope has decided to crown Our Lady of the Cape.
The coronation of a statue is highly significant. Through this gesture, the Vicar of Christ puts the seal of his apostolic authority on the cult given to this statue, the miracles attributed to it, and the fame and glory that surrounds it. In America, only the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe had received such an honor so far.
The day before the coronation, the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Sbarretti, presided over the candle procession. The next day, he celebrated Holy Mass, accompanied by representatives of all the Canadian Episcopate. Archbishops Duhamel of Ottawa and Begin of Quebec City praised, in English and in French, the glories of Our Lady of the Cape.
The Shrine of Cap-de-la-Madeleine had never seen such a big crowd. Then Bishop Cloutier, dressed in pontifical garments, moves to the statue, accompanied by Father Frederic, who carries the crown on a silken cushion. The Bishop blesses the crown, takes it and, on behalf of Pope Pius X, puts it on the head of Our Lady of the Cape. At the same moment, salvoes and bells resound, and the crowd is cheering. By a decree of the Pope, Our Lady of the Cape has become the Queen of Canada, the national Madonna of the Canadians.
I did not know we had a national Madonna. Perhaps we should make a point of spreading this information. Maybe we should even see about getting that statue for the March for Life.
