Ponteix and Gravelbourg Saskatchewan

The pilgrimage is an annual event, drawing hundreds from neighboring communities, and as some recall, even visiting Bishops from France.  Join us this year on the pilgrimage.  Tour includes the Ponteix pilgrimage, the Cathedral at Gravelbourg tour, Swift Current Hotels, motorcaoch transportation and more!

Here are a few reasons why it is a meaningful pilgrimage:

The shrine houses a historic statue of Our Lady of Auvergne, which was brought from France in the early 1900s by Fr. Albert Royer, a missionary from Auvergne, France.

• Ponteix was settled by French-speaking Catholics from Europe and Quebec, making it a center of Francophone Catholic tradition on the Canadian prairies.

• Visiting the shrine connects pilgrims to the faith journey of early Catholic settlers in Saskatchewan.

• Like all pilgrimages, a visit to Ponteix offers time for prayer, reflection, and a break from daily distractions.

• The peaceful rural setting makes it a great place for a spiritual retreat.

• Pilgrims can participate in Eucharistic adoration, confession, and prayer services.

• Processions – A statue of the Virgin Mary is often carried in a procession, symbolizing faith and devotion.

This pilgrimage is part of the deep Catholic tradition in the region, brought over by French settlers in the early 20th century. The statue of Our Lady of Auvergne, housed in the church, is a focal point of the pilgrimage.

Connection to Catholic Pioneer History

• The Catholic presence in Ponteix reflects the broader missionary and settler history of Western Canada.

• Pilgrims can learn about how faith sustained the early French-speaking settlers in a harsh new land.