The first church dedicated to Saint Anne, was built in 1658 and the present Basilica which was inaugurated officially in 1976, is a place of pilgrimage, the most important of which takes place on the 26 July, the occasion of the feast of Saint Anne, who is both the ecclesiastical and civil patron of Quebec. The Basilica was designated by the Canadian Bishops’ Conference as one of the five national shrines of the country.
On the 6th June, 2008, a painting of Dina Belanger, the work of Mr Marius Dubois, was placed in the crypt of the Basilica, in the chapel of the Immaculate Conception, on the occasion of the International Eucharistic Congress which marked the 400th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Quebec. This painting is to be found among those of the Founders, the Beatified and the Saints of the Canadian Church. Furthermore, there is a photo of Dina, at the entrance to the crypt, a reproduction of the same picture together with a brief of her life in English and French.
Given the importance of this Basilica, which welcomes more than one and a half million pilgrims each year, Blessed Dina Belanger can thus become known by many more people. Pictures and leaflets in four languages, which tell the story of her life, are available on the counter beneath the painting. Books and brochures can also be obtained in the Basilica bookshop.
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