“When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze…Then sings my soul, my savior God to thee…How great Thou art! How great Thou art!” (lyrics from How Great Thou Art)
There are few places in the world that these lyrics take on greater meaning than in the Mountain West, where the majesty of God’s creation unfolds over thousands of miles along the Rocky Mountains and its valleys.
The Rocky Mountains also provide a wonderful, if a tad unconventional, pilgrimage route that can begin just outside of Canada’s Banff National Park and terminate in the heart of Montana at the historic St. Mary’s Mission. Throughout, you will encounter the guiding hand of Our Lady of the Rockies.
Banff and Canmore, Alberta
About 30 minutes outside of Banff in the beautiful Bow River Valley, and situated along the Trans-Canada Highway, is the town of Canmore. The town is surrounded by the Three Sisters mountain peaks, one peak each named for the virtues of faith, hope and charity.
This is a haven for outdoor adventure from dog sled rides and cross country skiing trails in the winter, to family horseback rides in the back country in the summer. The area also has a wealth of assets remaining from the 1988 Calgary Olympics, such as the Canmore Nordic Center. At the Boundary Ranch, you can also visit the Guinn’s Family Wildlife Museum and experience re-enactments of the Old West.
The crown jewel of Canmore is the beautiful new Shrine of Our Lady of the Rockies. It is full of striking art, statues and devotional areas including a beautiful chapel dedicated to St. Joseph with a unique statue depicting his death. Rising above the sanctuary is a large stained glass window depicting Our Lady of the Rockies, with a nod to the coal mining heritage of the region, with mine shaft and coal mining cars within the artistic design. The shrine also offers daily mass and confession (with the exception of Mondays) and adoration weekly on Tuesday evenings.
The Catholic presence in the Bow River Valley dates back nearly 200 years, when the first mass in the area was celebrated by French missionaries sent to the fur traders in the region; the first recorded baptisms in Canmore were performed by the famed American missionary, Fr. Pierre de Smet, in 1845. The fur trade eventually gave way to coal miners and railway workers as the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway opened up the west.
From Canmore, it is about a 30 minute drive to Banff National Park in the midst of the Rockies is a near paradise for those seeking to soak in the rugged mountain lifestyle. It is an incredibly scenic spot, with a charming village, imposing mountain peaks, some of Canada’s best ski hills, excellent canoeing opportunities, and iconic mountain wildlife. It is also thrilling to ride the gondola to the top of the peaks for spectacular views.
Calgary
From Canmore, head to Alberta’s biggest city, Calgary. It is a gleaming oil-rich city, with a number of family friendly attractions including the Calgary Zoo, the Telus Spark Science Centre, the Military Museums of Calgary (2nd largest in Canada), the National Sports Hall of Fame, and the glass floor of the Calgary Tower (the tower was converted into an Olympic Cauldron for the 1988 Calgary Olympics, making it the largest Olympic torch in world). The best time of year to visit is early July during the Calgary Stampede, “the greatest show on Earth.” This is one of the most famous rodeos in the world that transform the city annually for ten days.
In Calgary’s Heritage Park, which re-assembles many buildings and streetscapes that re-create the Old West, you can find a replica of the log chapel of Our Lady of Peace Mission, which was the first Catholic mission established in southern Alberta in the 1870s.
Day Trips from Calgary: East to Strathmore and Drumheller
About two hours east from Calgary, you will be in the heart of the unique rock formations that constitute the “Badlands” of Canada. Along the way , in the town of Strathmore, is Sacred Heart parish, which is building a new Pope St. John Paul II Shrine in its new parish complex. The shrine will display a first class relic of the saint that is in the parish’s possession.
Located within the Badlands is the town of Drumheller and its world famous Royal Tyrrell Museum, home to the largest collection of dinosaur fossils in Canada (and the world’s largest dinosaur sculpture up front). This is the region where many dinosaur fossils have been unearthed and preserved in the museum. You can also combine a visit to the Museum with a trip to the Big Valley Creation Science Museum (located about 40 minutes north of Drumheller), which has some great displays affirming the Biblical account of creation. A second option (though a bit further drive from Calgary) is the Dinos Centre Inc., a kid friendly Bible history museum which also offers indoor mini golf and laser tag among its attractions.
Drumheller is also renowned as the site of an annual outdoor performance of the Badlands Passion Play, a three hour re-enactment of Christ’s passion, performed each summer.
Crowsnest Pass, Fort MacLeod, Waterton
An alternative option is to head south of Calgary to a trio of historic locations, including the site of a reputed Eucharistic Miracle.
The historic Crowsnest Pass is located just over two hours south of Alberta, centered around the historic mining town of Coleman. The Crowsnest Museum in Coleman is a fascinating step back in time to the region’s history, including the opportunity to tour an abandoned underground coal mine.
Quin Schrock @everchanginghorizon)
For Catholic visitors, the area around Coleman was the site of an unconfirmed Eucharistic miracle in June 1948. During that year, two men broke into the local Catholic church in Cowley, desecrating it and ripping open the tabernacle. The priest, Fr. Vito, found most of the Eucharistic hosts spread across the church floor but realized that the large consecrated host used in the monstrance was missing. The local police (Canada’s famed Mounties) had pulled over the two men who desecrated the church just outside of town and when Fr. Vito reached them in a desperate search for the monstrance host, one of the men confessed to throwing it out the window on the highway. Fr. Vito had the men take them to the spot, and there, on June 3rd, they found the host suspended in the air above the highway with brilliant rays of light shining forth from it. Christ reportedly spoke to Fr. Vito through the suspended host asking to be taken back to the church in Cowley. The police sergeant who accompanied the prisoners and saw the miracle soon converted, along with his family, to the faith, and there was a general revival of the Cowley parish. The miracle has been fairly well documented, but has never been confirmed by the Church. This article provides further details on how to find the site of the miracle.
About an hour east of Crowsnest Pass along Highway 3 is the historic town of Fort MacLeod. This was a fort originally established by the North West Mounted Police (which later became the Mounties) and was also where the police force’s famed musical ride was born. Visitors can tour the fascinating fort museum and observe the musical ride. A visit to Fort MacLeod can be paired with the journey 40 minutes further south to the town of Cardston. Here you will find the gorgeous pioneer church of St. Stephen of Hungary, one of the earliest Catholic mission churches in southern Alberta. Cardson is also where the Remington Carriage Museum is found, with its historic collection of horse drawn carriages and statue to the town’s most famous export, Seabiscuit.
Your southern Alberta adventure can end in the picturesque border region of Waterton Lakes and the Glacier International Peace Park Loop. From here, you have the option to continue your pilgrimage in Montana.
CATHOLIC CONCIERGE 
Leave a comment