5th March : Our Lady Of Good Help
5th March
Our Lady Of Good Help
Country :
Year : 1657
Dedicated to Our Lady of Good Help, Notre Dame de Bonsecours for 300 years has been the sanctuary for seamen leaving Montreal for the seven seas. A wooden chapel was built in 1657; replaced in 1675 by a building whose foundations serve the present church which was erected in 1771.
Over the entrance is inscribed: “If the love of Mary is graven in your heart, forget not a prayer in passing.” Our Lady of Good Help is a beautiful little Church, with fine paintings.
On the walls are mosaics of Marguerite Bourgeoys, who inspired the first chapel: and of Maisonneuve, founder of Montreal, said to have felled the first oak for the chapel.
A narrow stairway, lined with pilgrims’ acknowledgments, leads to an aerial chapel set in the roof. Here is a facsimile of the Santa Casa, the house of the Virgin reputedly carried by angels from Nazareth to Loretto.
