First called Wakamne or God’s Lake by the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation who live on the west end of the Lake
and Manito Sahkahigan or Spirit Lake by the Cree, Lac St. Anne is the site of the annual Lac St. Anne Pilgrimage, one of the most unique and memorable spiritual gatherings in North America.

LSAP 2012 Schedule - PDF

2012 PRESS RELEASE

125 years ago, God revealed to Father Lestanc, OMI that he must build a shrine to honor St. Anne, grandmother of Jesus.  The Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage Company Board continues the legacy and thus manages and oversees the annual Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage in a prudent, effective and efficient manner for dedicated Catholic pilgrims.

To the faithful Pilgrims of the Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage:

The Pilgrimage will be hosted on July 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th, 2012, with the focus on the Feast of Ste. Anne and the Blessed Kateri Tekawitha, the first North American Native to be declared a Saint.

As a result of the current financial situation of the Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage Company, the LSAP Board of Directors has taken some crucial and necessary measures to reduce our financial debt and ongoing expenses in order to continue planning and hosting the pilgrimage every year.

Each year, the Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage has become more expensive to operate, and the revenues do not match the expenses, leaving LSAP in dire financial straits.  Therefore, the new management Board developed a Business Plan in order to reduce the debt and pay the bills. With your help, support, and prayers, we can overcome this financial challenge.

Some of the measures introduced to lessen the debt are: a) shortening the length of the Pilgrimage to 4 days to cut operational costs; b) eliminating the Executive Director’s position and implementing an “Events Coordinator” instead; c) eliminating the golf cart rentals; d) contracting out the campground and facilities; e) tendering out all of the concession booths and gift store; and f) eliminating the accommodations and meals for volunteers.

The Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage Company will engage in fundraising events and actively seek sponsorship from various companies, communities, and organizations to support the yearly Pilgrimage, and ask the Parishes who host a Mass to donate an offering for their Mass.  With continual cost effective measures being undertaken and fundraising being everyone’s responsibility, we are confident we can be debt free within the next year or two.  An annual financial report will be provided to those interested in the revenues and expenses for the pilgrimage.

For the upcoming Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage 2012, Camping Days will be on Saturday, July 21st, and Sunday, July 22nd.  The gates will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 11:00 p.m. until the pilgrimage is over.

Please keep the LSAP Board in your prayers, and we hope to see you all at the Pilgrimage 2012.

Complete schedule of events to follow. 

NOTE: Posters will not be mailed out to the communities this year. 
Please print from the links above to post in your community.

2010 Blessing of the Lake - Panarama (Click image for larger view)

 

    Lac St. Anne Pilgrimage site
     
    A long-established annual meeting place for Aboriginal peoples, this lake became a Catholic pilgrimage site in the late 19th century. Since 1889, First Nations and Métis people have travelled here in late July to celebrate the Feast of Saint Anne. This saint, widely revered as the mother of the Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus, embodies the grandmother figure honoured in many Canadian Aboriginal societies. Lac Ste. Anne is an important place of spiritual, cultural and social rejuvenation, central aspects of traditional summer gatherings for indigenous peoples.

In the past Native families, who in the fall had scattered to winter camps and trap lines, gathered in the summer for the buffalo hunt. First called Wakamne or God’s Lake by the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation who live on the west end of the Lake and Manito Sahkahigan or Spirit Lake by the Cree, Lac St. Anne is the site of the annual Lac St. Anne Pilgrimage, one of the most unique and memorable spiritual gatherings in North America.

    The pilgrimage to Lac Ste. Anne blends well with traditional Aboriginal spiritual beliefs and cultural practices. Aboriginal cultures have strong female figures and, generally speaking, grandmothers have a respected place within this society. As the grandmother of Christ, Saint Anne can be accepted into this tradition. The pilgrimage, which takes place on the week of her feast day, July 26, coincides with the time when traditional summer gatherings were held. The pilgrimage allows Aboriginal people to once again come together to visit, to share and to celebrate much as they did in the traditional summer gatherings.  Today as many as 40,000 pilgrims make their way to the shores of Lac Ste. Anne. Many come in search of healing and spiritual renewal.  This pilgrimage, has become the largest annual Catholic gathering in Western Canada.

The pilgrimage is especially close to the hearts of our many First Nations and Metis people who attend faithfully each year. 

Who is St. Anne?

Saint Anne is the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus. While not mentioned in the Bible, stories of Anne and her husband Joachim are found in early Christian writings.

Devotion to St. Anne has been widespread throughout the world and many thousands of miraculous cures have been attributed to her wonder - working intercession.

She is often portrayed with the child Mary at her side holding a book and teaching her to read . In 1876 Pope Pius IX declared her as the Patroness of Canada.


Click image for more details

DECLARATION

Gathered in unity we, the Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrims, 

continue to celebrate this event which is a gift of God's blessing, 

deeply rooted in Catholic Native tradition.

Check back regularly for updates & additions.    We invite you to submit stories of your most memorable experiences at Lac St. Anne and we'll post a few at a time on the revolving basis. 

Pictures are also welcome (include names).

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