Our Lady of the Cape welcomes global prayer marathon

Canada’s Our Lady of the Cape (Notre-Dame-du-Cap) Shrine in Trois-Rivières, Que., will welcome the world May 23 as part of the month-long global prayer marathon.   

Catholics across the globe participating in the prayer marathon throughout May — orchestrated by Pope Francis and the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization — will link-up via YouTube at 6 p.m. ET to participate in prayerful activities occurring at the Marian shrine, one of 30 around the world designated to take part in the marathon calling for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dennis Girard, a co-director of the Ottawa-based Marian Devotional Movement (MDM), alongside his wife Angelina, said “we were overjoyed to discover that Pentecost was the day assigned to Our Lady of the Cape given the Blessed Mother is the spouse of the Holy Spirit,” in an e-mail to The Catholic Register.

Each day of the global prayer marathon commences with the local celebrant lighting a candle before the image of Mary. Afterwards, Luke 18:1-8, which declares how God will do justice for those who cry out to Him in prayer, is read as the keynote Scripture.

In addition to an introduction greeting, completion of the Holy Rosary and a farewell prayer to end the program, a celebrant leads a prayer specifically to call for the pandemic’s end. Each day a particular intention is offered. On May 23, there will be a call to pray for “all law enforcement and military personnel and for all firefighters” working on the frontlines.

Girard finds the intention fitting.

“As a nation, we are blessed by the sacrifice of our front-line workers. The Queen of the Most Holy Rosary is the front-line worker par excellence in the battle for souls,” he said.

In most non-pandemic years, the shrine between Montreal and Quebec City on the St. Lawrence River attracts more than 430,000 visitors. Our Lady of the Cape is known because of the miracles that occurred in the late 19th century. Most famous of these events was The Miracle of the Ice Bridge in March 1879, which saw an ice bridge come together despite a mild winter that allowed parishioners a short interval to transport materials across the river to build their new church. The Miracle of the Ice Bridge is attributed to the prayers of its parishioners. 

To participate in the global prayer marathon, visit https://www.youtube.com/vaticannews.