Catholics in the US have another destination to add to their list of pilgrimage sites, as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has officially changed the designation of Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine, in upstate New York, to “national” status. The distinction was sought in 2024, but the site’s historical significance reaches back to the 17th century.
The “national” distinction marks a Catholic shrine as a place of great religious, historical, and cultural significance to the country in which it’s located. Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine has an even broader reach, however, as it is dedicated to North American martyrs.
Furthermore, the shrine is built on the site where Jesuit priests Sts. Isaac Jogues, René Goupil and Jean de Lalande were martyred in the 1640s. This former Ossernenon village is also where St. Kateri Tekakwitha was born in 1656.
Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger of Albany, who is also chairs the board of the Friends of Our Lady of Martyrs, expressed his excitement over the new designation:
"We are delighted that the bishops have confirmed what the faithful have long instinctually known: The National Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs is our home for the cultivation of holiness here in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico," Bishop Scharfenberger said in a statement.
He went on to note that, as a native New Yorker, the martyrs were inspirational to him and the Shrine was “foundational” to his early calling to the priesthood. He said that he continues to visit the Shrine as a pilgrim, which helps him “refuel in prayer for God's outpouring of graces in my daily decisions and the lives of the faithful people the Church has entrusted to me."
The Shrine’s church building was designed to resemble the Roman Colosseum, a remembrance of the early Christians who were martyred for their faith in the first several centuries after Christ. A circular structure, it is adorned with 70 doors symbolizing the 70 disciples sent forth by Christ to proclaim the Gospel in every direction. Able to hold 8,000, it is one of the largest churches in the western hemisphere.
In the announcement, Julie Baaki, executive director of Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine, highlighted the importance of the new “mational” distinction by first recalling how Pope Francis has lamented that there are more Christian martyrs in the world today than in the days of the early Church:
"Our National Shrine is a haven where pilgrims come to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters throughout the world as well as for growth in courage for any trials we face as we try to live lives of virtue, grow in faith and try to pass it along," Baaki said. "As a wife and mother," she added, "I see the fruits of my prayers to the Martyrs in everyday family life, and a superabundance of graces in the testimonies of [the] faithful who visit.”
Read more comments on the new designation and learn more about Our Lady of Martyrs National Shrine at the official website.
