While Vermont may be known for its maple syrup and ski slopes, the Green Mountain State harbors its own share of remarkable Catholic sites.
Native Americans, French missionaries, Irish immigrants, and many other faithful shaped the powerful story of faith in New England's northernmost reaches.
From lakeside shrines to historic churches, here are 5 sites not to miss during your Vermont visit.
Note: Always check current visiting hours and Mass schedules before planning your trip, as times may vary seasonally.
1St. Anne's Shrine, Isle La Motte
Located on Lake Champlain's largest island, this peaceful shrine marks the site of the first European settlement in Vermont, established in 1666 by French missionaries. St. Anne was named protector very early on in the territory's occupation:
As early as 1666, the French erected a Fort and Chapel on Isle La Motte as their southernmost fort against hostile Indian attacks on the settlements in Montreal and Quebec. This was dedicated under the invocation of “la bonne Sainte Anne.”
It was here that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered for the first known time in the Northeast, and here too that the first Episcopal visit took place when in 1668, the Bishop of Quebec journeyed by canoe to Fort St. Anne to confirm a number of Indian converts. Although the Fort was abandoned within a few years, the ruins remained a mute witness to the devotion of its builders, which would be reawakened with the establishment of Vermont as a diocese in 1853.
A statue of St. Anne overlooks the lake where French explorer Samuel de Champlain once sailed. The outdoor Mass pavilion offers breathtaking views of the Adirondacks across the water.
Don't miss the Way of the Cross path and the historic chapel containing relics of St. Anne. Visitors can attend retreats, join in devotions and services, and even have a wedding or baptism here. The shrine's grounds provide a perfect spot for contemplation along Vermont's historic waters.
2Cathedral of St. Joseph, Burlington
This magnificent cathedral, completed in 1887, is the mother church of Vermont. It stands proudly as a testament to the faithful history of Vermont's Catholics:
This magnificent edifice was built by the self-sacrifices of those hardy French Canadian parishioners who placed their faith and their trust in God at the top of their priorities.
The church was designed by Rev. Joseph Michaud, a self-taught architect from Montreal, in a grand classical style reminiscent of St. Peter's in Rome.
Every part of the stunning edifice bears witness to the faith and sacrifices of those first parishioners. Many with skills as carpenters, stone and brick masons, plasterers and glaziers worked on the project full time or donated one or more days a week of labor to it.
Meanwhile other parishioners raised funds for over 4 years with picnics and dances, concerts and card parties, annual bazaars, and house-to-house collections. When the new church was finally inaugurated on Easter Sunday 1887, the community rejoiced in what they all had helped to build.
3St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Newport
Perched above Lake Memphremagog, this stunning granite church has served Vermont's northeast community since 1874. Its striking architecture features a blend of Gothic and Romanesque elements unique to Vermont's Catholic churches.
The interior holds remarkable stained-glass windows depicting the life of the Virgin Mary, including the Annunciation, the Presentation, the Assumption, the Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, Fatima, LaSalette and Guadalupe.
Don’t miss the rose windows that feature a sailing ship and the spectacular views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
4Weston Priory, Weston
This beautiful rustic Benedictine monastery stands at the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest.
Visitors are welcome to join in the monks’ celebrations of common prayer; attend retreats; and tour the visitors' center, gallery shop, and grounds.
Don’t miss the chance for a quiet meditation walk on the “Labyrinth,” adjacent to the Barn Chapel.
5Chief Grey Lock Monument, Burlington
This sculpture, located in Burlington's Battery Park, honors Chief Grey Lock and all Indians indigenous to Vermont. Most who walk past it don’t realize that it is also a Catholic historical site, as Grey Lock and many of his Abenaki people were Catholic:
Abenaki sang Catholic hymns and said prayers in the Abenaki language. When there was not a resident priest in Vermont, Abenaki travelled up to Odanak, a large Abenaki settlement on the St. Lawrence River, for the sacraments. The Abenaki even brought their own chaplain on large military campaigns.
The first Catholic priests came to the area in 1615, and their faith took hold rapidly among the Abenaki. Accounts from the time written by Jesuit missionaries and Puritan neighbors describe their devout faith, as supported by Abenaki oral tradition. At least four churches were built in the region during this time.
Grey Lock and his family were baptized in 1740 in Missisquoi, which had a church and about 40 lodges. It was strategically placed so as to teach the Abenaki travelling up and down Lake Champlain. Tradition has it that Abenaki Catholics transported stone for the church in their canoes.
Visitors to the statue might pray in thanksgiving for these spiritual ancestors and perhaps attend an event with the modern-day Abenaki nation.
BONUS SITESaint Michael's College, Colchester
Saint Michael’s College is unique. Not only is it the only Catholic college in Vermont, but it is also the only Edmundite college in the world. The Society of Saint Edmund, an order of priests that came to Vermont from France more than 100 years ago, founded the college in 1904.
The campus chapel, built in 1965, incorporates Vermont marble and stunning contemporary stained glass in its modern design. Visitors are welcome to attend the daily Mass offered during the school year.
