Our Lady of the martyrs in New York officially declared National Sanctuary

The United States Catholic Bishop Conference (USCCB) has confirmed that the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Martyrs, which covers the village where the saints Isaac Jogues, René Goupil and Juan de la Lande were martyred, and where Santa Kateri Tekakwitha was born , has been officially recognized as a national sanctuary.

On January 27, the USCCB informed Friends of Our Lady of Martyrsthe non -profit corporation that owns the sanctuary, which could carry the designation of “national” after having requested the title in August 2024.

The president of the sanctuary, the bishop of Albany, Mons. Edward B. Scharfenberger, expressed in a statement: “We are glad that the bishops have confirmed what the faithful have instinctively known for a long time: the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Martyrs is our home for the cultivation of holiness in the United States, Canada and Mexico. ”

The sanctuary received its national title after the bishops confirmed that it complies with the standards established in the Rules for the designation of national sanctuarieswhich include being “dedicated to promoting the faith of pilgrims, focused on a mystery of the Catholic faith, a devotion based on the authentic tradition of the Church, revelations recognized by the Church or life of those who are part of the calendar of saints of the Church ”.

Mons. Roger Landry, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Works and member of the Board of Directors of Friends of Our Lady of MartyrsHe stressed that the sanctuary is a place where all Catholics reaffirm in the missionary dimension of Christian life.

“As Pope Francis repeatedly teaches us, Catholics not only have a mission, but we are a mission. Jesus has entrusted us with the continuation of his saving mission on earth, ”said Mons. Landry in A statement.

Due to his link with four great saints and heroes of faith, Landry said that the sanctuary is “probably, after the tabernacles that adorn our churches and souls of freshly baptized babies, the most sacred place for Catholics in the country”.

For his part, Julie Baaki, executive director of the sanctuary, commented that “our national sanctuary is a shelter where pilgrims come to pray for our brothers and sisters persecuted worldwide, as well as to ask for strength to any evidence that we face in our Road towards a life of virtue, growth in faith and transmission of it ”.

The church within the sanctuary was built in 1930 and has capacity for more than 8,000 people, the largest of any ecclesiastical building in the western hemisphere. The National Sanctuary of Our Lady of the martyrs will begin its 2025 season on May 3 and will remain open until the feast of the martyrs of North America on October 19.

Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.