Denomination: CATHOLIC |
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Denomination: CATHOLIC |
ouis-N. Audet, one of the architects of the Basilica, presented it as a "five-nave church with a choir and absidial chapels." The idea to build a five-nave (one nave and four aisles) church was apparently inspired by the cathedral of Bourges in France. The first and foremost intention of the architects was to build a "large church that was Gothic in its proportion, but Romanesque in its details" (ASBA 1950, p.342). The Romanesque style was little known in Quebec then but had begun to make its appearance under the influence of the American architect Richardson. Churches in this style had already been constructed in the United States and other parts of Canada.
he interior of the church has changed over the years. Before 1954, it was nothing but bare walls with visible steel structures in the nave section - part of the metal framework put in in April 1924, by McKinnon Steel Co. of Sherbrooke under the supervision of foreman M. Desilets. The metal framework weighs 898 tons. Maintenance workers who have access to the attic above the vault of the Basilica, such as electricians and lighting or acoustic experts, have marvelled at the sturdiness of this metal framework erected more than 50 years ago.
n 1938, the central vault, the ambulatory and the side chapels were cast, adding a weight of 212 tons of concrete. Between 1947 and 1954, the entire surface of the walls and columns was covered with 31,040 blocks of stone, an additional weight of 4,343 tons. To this weight of about 5,000 tons, other additions were made later on, but in lesser tonnage. One can imagine the strength of the foundations of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré must be just by adding this mass to the total weight of the granite in the exterior walls.
The Basilica has a seating capacity of 1,500 people: 1,372 in the nave and aisles and 123 in the choir.
Detail of the Great Rose Window Photo: D. Stiebeling |
The Great Rose Window Photo: D. Stiebeling |
he large rose window is 23 feet in diameter and, as Father J.T. Nadeau wrote, is "the logical center of the façade." "Inscribed under the large arched volutes that are flanked by pinacles and the niches of the tower buttresses, the large rose window blossoms in its tracery as the logical center of the whole façade" (ABSA, 1923, p.204).
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Interior Photo: D. Stiebeling |
Vault Photo: D. Stiebeling |
Scene from the Life of Saint Ann Photo: D. Stiebeling |
he decoration work of the mosaic was contracted to two Parisian artists, Jean Caudin and Auguste Labouret. The initial work was done in a workshop in Paris. After the entire decoration scheme had been agreed upon, large quantities of precisely-cut bits of glass and ceramic were assembled on full-scale sketches. A sheet of heavy-weight paper was then glued onto the face side of the design and all the pieces of this giant puzzle carefully numbered before being shipped in crates to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. Meanwhile, the vault had been prepared for the setting. First, the entire surface to be decorated was striated, that is, grooves were scratched into the cement so as to give grip to the bits of glass and ceramic. Then the numbered pieces were reassembled according to the proper order. After the pieces had sufficiently set, the paper was soaked with water and removed. The finishing touches consisted of neatly filling in the cracks between the pieces.
View of the nave Photo: D. Stiebeling |
Vault Photo: D. Stiebeling |
Choir of the church Photo: D. Stiebeling |
he theme of the decoration in the central vault is the life of Saint Ann to whom the church is dedicated. The 26 biographical
scenes are based on a narrative in the Protogospel of Saint James, a second-century book containing the traditional story of the life of Saint Ann, the Mother of Mary and Grandmother of Jesus.
he primary function of mosaic decoration is to decorate an architectural structure. That is, the decoration must conform to the architecture of the building. Thus the decorator must respect the architectural forms of the building that he or she is decorating by ensuring an overall sense of unity but at the same time must seek to create a sense of unity within his or her own work. Moreover, because of the distance from which the decoration is to be seen, that, in the case of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is 85 feet, the mosaic artist must remember to execute every element of the design in the proper scale,
everything from the size of the figures, the relative proportions of the decorative elements to the legibility of the inscriptions, and so on. Respect for the
architecture also dictates the colour scheme for the decoration. The colours must be cool but show up well against a clear background. Here, in the decoration of the central vault at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, the background resembles an ocher brown carpet touched up with red and gold. The gold however is not applied to large areas, but is used to form a discreet and pervading network in such a manner that the vault sparkles harmoniously as the light that illuminates it changes in intensity.
Vault of the chapel Photo: D. Stiebeling |
The Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Photo: D. Stiebeling |
he Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
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he Chapel of our Lady of Perpetual Help The Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Redemptorists under the title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the name of an old icon preserved in Saint Alphonsus' church on Via Merulana, Rome. This image has been entrusted to the Redemptorist Fathers by Pope Pius IX, who instructed them to make it known thoughout the world. The original image is an icon painted on a wood panel with a halo around her head. The present image occupies the center of the decoration of the chapel and is framed by a Leone Tommasi low-relief sculpture showing six Angels holding the picture up to the wall. |
The Virgin of Perpetual Help, Jean Gaudin Photo: D. Stiebeling |
mosaic serves as a background for the picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help on the wall behind the altar. On the wall facing the ambulatory, there is a portrait of Our Lady of Peace, a title by which the Virgin was invoked during the Ottawa Marian Congress in 1946. Since the chapel was a donation from the Archdiocese of Ottawa, Bishop Vachon wanted it to commemorate the Marian Congress. Beside the "Madonna of Peace" are the Cathedral of Ottawa, the
Parliament Building, the Repository of the Marian Congress of Ottawa and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
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he Chapel of Saint Joseph The statue carved out of tulipwood by H.Angers of Quebec, was decorated by the Good Shepherd Sisters of Quebec under the direction of Sister Saint-Amédée. Its pedestal is of light pink granite. The vault is covered with a mosaic conceived and executed by Walter del Mitro. Above the ornamental band, a large scene unfolds: the dominant figure is the Holy Spirit, flanked by two Angels with opened wings; elsewhere, the high priest hands Saint Joseph a stick blooming with lily flowers, a traditional gesture which signifies that God has chosen Saint Joseph to become the spouse of the Virgin Mary. On the lower part of the vault, there is a Latin inscription: "Egreditur virga de radice Jesse et flos de radice ejus ascendet et requiescet super eum Spiritus Domini," meaning: "A shoot shall sprout from the trunk of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom... Here lies the Spirit of Our Lord." |
The Chapel of Saint Joseph Photo: D. Stiebeling |
Photo: D. Stiebeling |
he Chapel of the Great Relic Not only is this chapel the most important in the Basilica, it is also the most beautiful and magnificient. The altar-table is made of polished black granite with a fine strip of dentils running along the front and sides. The table rests on six green onyx pilasters from Brazil that are each 14 inches wide with two narrow "N"-shaped ornamental grooves. In the center of the support, the words "Good Saint Ann, pray for us" are inscribed within a square framed in panels of carved maple leaves. The altar step is of red stalagmitic marble with decorations of red, yellow and black marble. The wall is coated with stalagmitic marble and ornamented with Mexican onyx columns from Pedrana that are four feet, six inches high. The white marble capitals topping these columns were carved by Leone Tommasi de Pietrasanta of Italy. The onyx was supplied by Merbès-Sprimont Co. of Bruxelles. |
he chapel is vaulted by a semi-dome and is decorated with a mosaic by Auguste Labouret. Right above is the Eternal Father and, just beneath Him, is Saint Ann who spreads her large coat as if to protect pilgrims, the sick and several figures who have played important roles in spreading the devotion to Saint Ann in this century: Father Jean Thielen, one of the first Belgian Redemptorists to work at the Shrine, Father Lamontagne, who researched Saint Ann's history, Brother Camille, a sacristan at the former Basilica and Mother Marie-Anne, foundress of the Sisters of Saint Ann.
here are several relics at Sainte-Anne de Beaupré. These can be viewed during the solemn veneration of the relic after the evening procession. The first relic was donated by Bishop de Laval himself and, for a long time, the pilgrims had venerated this so-called "Great Relic," brought from Rome by Mgr Callixte Marquis and donated to the Shrine by Cardinal Taschereau. The one that is now exposed for veneration is Saint Ann's forearm, brought from the
Basilica of Saint-Paul-Outside-the-Walls and donated to the Shrine by Pope John XXIII on July 3, 1960.
Saint Ann of Auray, north end of the transept Photo: D. Stiebeling |
he Saint of Auray is depicted in the center with her daughter; below, a procession is taking place in front of the Basilica at Auray with people adorned in their national dress. The window on the left shows Nicolazic with the statue he has just found. Just above him are shipwrecked fishermen. The window on the right shows Keriolet, Auray's famous pilgrim with his traveling-bag and walking-stick. The top part of this window continues the scene of the preceding window: the fishermen have gone back to sea and are having a bountiful catch. Grateful, they offer their full nets (Eugène Lefebvre, C.Ss.R., ASBA, 1949, p.198). At the bottom of the window, an inscription reads: "Good Saint Ann, protect France and Canada."
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Saint Ann, transept, Auguste Labouret Photo: D. Stiebeling |
Bûcheron d'Abitibi, Pilot de St-Laurent, transept Photo: D. Stiebeling |
Stained glass, transept Photo: D. Stiebeling |
House of God, stained glass below the simple windows of the transept on the sanctuary side Photo: D. Stiebeling |
here are two symbols that refer to the church itself. They emphasize the role of the Basilica as "House of God" and "Door of Heaven", two invocations taken from the litanies to the Virgin.
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 Text: Samuel Baillargeon, C.Ss.R., Your Visit
to the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Charrier et Dugal ltée, 1965English translation: Gabriel Bergeron |
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