Our Season
First Saturday of May to Thanksgiving Monday
Church & Grounds Closed due to COVID-19
We are committed to serving you through new digital mediums
The Following Information is for our 2021 season
Our Church and Grounds are closed for 2020 due to COVID-19
Mass Times
1 May - 11 October 2021
Saturday & Sunday : 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Sacrament of Reconcilliation
1 May - 11 October 2021
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also available upon request.
Blessings and Spiritual Conversation
1 May - 11 October 2021
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
A Jesuit Father is available in the Administration Office on Saturdays and Sundays for Blessings, and spiritual conversation.
Pilgrimages & Events for 2021
Plan your visit to the National Shrine
Upcoming Events
No Upcoming Events FoundBook Your Group or Pilgrimage 2021
To book your group visit, educational programme, or pilgrimage for 2021, please contact us.
What You Need to Know
Helpful Information for Your 2021 Visit
What to Bring
Water
Sunscreen
Folding Chairs
Dogs (outside only, must on a leash)
What NOT to Bring
Pets (with the exception of dogs on leash, and Service Animals)
Charcoal Barbecues (propane is accepted)
Stewardship for Nature
Care for our Common Home
Please join us in being good stewards for the lands we care for.
Here are some helpful tips for how pilgrims and visitors can do their part to help minimize our impacts to nature and ensure the sustainability of our shrine for generations to come:
- If you're bringing a lunch, pack it in a reusable container.
- Bring plenty of water in a reusable container, and reusable bottles.
- Please do not interact with wildlife. Feeding birds and other wildlife lures them away from their natural habitat and food source.
- Protect against the risk of fire - if you're barbecuing, use a propane barbecue over a charcoal grill. Never start a bonfire or create a fire pit.
- Put waste in its place - always ensure that any garbage you do leave behind makes its way to a garbage bin so that it is disposed of properly.
Gift Shop
This unique Gift Shop at Martyrs’ Shrine is open from May to October and offers pilgrims an extensive selection of religious articles, souvenirs, and gift ideas. It features art, statues, scapulars, jewellery, postcards, books, prayer cards, crosses, rosaries, and much more.
St. Ignace II
Located East of Martyrs' Shrine on Rosemount Rd., the Site of St. Ignace II was originally a palisade village. In 1649, it was captured along with the neighbouring St. Louis Mission, where St Jean de Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalemant were seized. They were brought to St. Ignace II and, after suffering severely, died.
Today, the land of St. Ignace II is owned and cared for by Martyrs' Shrine. During the months of July and August, Mass is celebrated here every Wednesday at 3:00 PM.
Caragouha
Located in Tiny Township, near Thunder Beach, Caragouha is a plot of land where the first Mass in Ontario was celebrated August 12, 1615 by the recollet Fr. Joseph LeCaron in the presence of Samuel de Champlain. This plot of land, on which stands a stone altar, is now owned and cared for by Martyrs' Shrine. An annual memorial Mass is held on this site on August 12th.
Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Ontario’s first European Community, Sainte-Marie among the Hurons was the headquarters for the French Jesuit Mission to the Huron Wendat people. In 1639, the Jesuits, along with French lay workers, began construction of a fenced community that included barracks, a church, workshops, residences, and a sheltered area for Native visitors. By 1648, Sainte-Marie was a wilderness home to 66 French men, representing one-fifth of the entire population of New France. Sainte-Marie's brief history ended in 1649, when members of the mission community were forced to abandon and burn their home of nearly ten years.
After extensive archaeological and historical research initiated by the Society of Jesus, Sainte-Marie among the Hurons is now recreated on its original site, where the mission’s compelling story is brought to life.
Connected to Martyrs' Shrine by trail, this world-renowned reconstruction illustrates the interaction of the Canadian Martyrs and Wendat nations. Visitors get a unique opportunity to see the earliest Canadian pioneer life, through guided or self-guided visits, school group tours, interactive education programs, special events, and corporate functions.
The Pilgrim Route
Through the collaborative efforts of the Martyrs’ Shrine, Georgian Bay Trails and Simcoe County Trails, a permanent 89 km off-road Pilgrim Route has been established to the Martyrs’ Shrine. While the official signs marking the new Pilgrim Route continue to be developed, the map below can be of assistance in guiding your pilgrimage to the Shrine.
Driving Directions
Option A:
- Follow Hwy. 400 North.
- Take exit 121 to merge onto Hwy. 93.
- North on Hwy. 93 for 24 km.
- Turn right onto Hwy. 12 to Midland.
- East on Hwy. 12 for 5 km.
Option B:
- Follow Hwy. 400 North.
- Take exit 147 to merge onto Hwy. 12 West.
- West on Hwy. 12 for 13 km.
- Follow Hwy. 26 to Hwy. 92/Mosley St.
- East on Hwy. 92 through Elmvale.
- Continue straight onto Hwy. 19 East.
- Turn left onto Hwy. 93.
- North on Hwy. 93 for 16 km.
- Turn right onto Hwy. 12.
- East on Hwy. 12 for 5 km.
- Follow Hwy. 11 South to Orillia.
- Take exit 133 to merge onto Hwy. 12.
- West on Hwy. 12 for 40 km.
- Follow Hwy. 69 South/Hwy. 400 South.
- Take exit 147 to merge onto Hwy. 12.
- West on Hwy. 12 for 13 km.
GPS Coordinates & Tips
16163 HWY 12 W, Midland, ON, L4R 4K6
- For those requiring our GPS coordinates for navigation, please use the following coordinates for our location:
- Latitude 44.73681
- Longitude -79.84169
- Experiencing difficulties finding the Martyrs’ Shrine with your GPS? Please try any of the following alternatives:
- Ontario 12 or ONT 12, in place of the street name
- Tay Township, in place of the city/town
- locate a nearby intersection: Ontario 12 & William St.