✝️ Martyrs' Shrine (Midland, Ontario)
Canada
About This Sacred Site
The Martyrs' Shrine in Midland, Ontario, is Canada's most prominent Catholic pilgrimage church, honoring the eight Canadian Martyrs — Jesuit missionaries who were killed between 1642 and 1649 while working among the Huron-Wendat people. The twin-spired granite church was built in 1926 on a hill overlooking the historic Sainte-Marie among the Hurons mission site. Pope Pius XI canonized the eight martyrs in 1930, and the shrine was designated a National Shrine of Canada. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass here before 75,000 pilgrims in 1984. The site combines the history of early European contact with profound Catholic devotion.
Key Facts
- •Honors eight Jesuit missionaries canonized in 1930 as the Canadian Martyrs
- •Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass here in 1984 before 75,000 people
- •Overlooks the reconstructed Sainte-Marie among the Hurons mission
- •The martyrs, including Saints Jean de Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalemant, died between 1642-1649
- •Designated a National Shrine of Canada by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Location
Coordinates: 44.7453, -79.8456
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