from Martyr's Shrine
After nearly two years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Martyrs’ Shrine will be reopening to the public on May 7, 2022.
The Martyrs’ Shrine leadership team had been forced to make tough calls over the past couple of years as the grounds and church have been closed to visitors, leaving significant economic implications for our community. Martyrs’ Shrine welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year translating into an estimated $26.6 million dollar economic impact in the region. Though these closing measures were necessary to ensure public safety and the continued operation of the holy and historic site, they were met with careful consideration. This recent closure marks the first time that the Shrine has closed its doors to the public in its nearly 100-year history.
As the Shrine welcomes back pilgrims and visitors, anticipating a pent-up demand for spiritual services, it will continue to monitor public health and safety policies and best practices. Martyrs’ Shrine is committed to remaining open and available to the public this year.
It is with special thanks to Martyrs’ Shrine’s supporters and benefactors over the past couple of years that the Shrine is in this incredible position to reopen its doors to the community. It has been through this support that Martyrs’ Shrine has been able to do some much-needed repairs and updates to our grounds and operations. The Shrine hopes that through these upgrades, the guest experience can be elevated and offer our visitors spaces to encounter Christ as they walk alongside Saint Jean de Brebeuf and his companions.
This year, admission rates have increased to ensure that the Shrine can continue to deliver a quality experience for its guests as well as help protect this treasured sacred site for generations to come. As well, beginning this year, the Shrine is offering complimentary admission for Indigenous persons (status First Nations, Metis and Inuit). Season’s Passes are available for our regularly returning patrons. Hours, rates and our upcoming events schedule are outlined on our newly updated website, www.martyrs-shrine.com.
Martyrs’ Shrine, Canada’s early church, is a national holy and historic space honouring the lives of the Canadian Martyrs. The Shrine celebrates a nearly 400-year old story of love and discovery that inspired and influenced the formation of Canada as we know it today. The Shrine is a ministry of the Jesuits in English Canada. This ‘house of prayer, home of peace’ honours the Jesuit missionaries and their companions who lived, worked and died here in the lands of the Wendat (Huron) back in the sixteenth century. Martyrs’ Shrine is located just outside of Midland, Ontario, in the Heart of Georgian Bay. More than 100,000 visitors from around the world visit the Shrine for prayer, healing, and fellowship each year.
images via martyrs-shrine.com
