Dear Friends of Saint Anne's Shrine,

​

This pilgrimage season we celebrate three anniversaries. Nationally we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th and our town of Isle La Motte is busy planning events to celebrate its local ties to the revolutionary period. Secondly, the Shrine celebrates the 360th anniversary of the first Catholic Mass in the state of Vermont celebrated on our grounds by French Jesuits at Fort Saint Anne in 1666. This missionary event has vast religious and historical significance for our Diocese of Burlington and surrounding region.

Lastly, but a bit more personal, three members of the Society of Saint Edmund celebrate anniversaries of ordination to the priesthood. Fathers Richard Myhalyk and Marcel Rainville celebrate 55 years of priestly ministry, and I will celebrate 30 years. To commemorate these anniversaries, we will concelebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, June 14th at 10:30 a.m. I hope you can join us as we give thanks to God for the blessed opportunity to serve you and many others as Edmundite priests. You are welcome to join us for a barbecue following the liturgy.

The 2026 Pilgrimage Season’s opening Mass will be on Sunday, May 10th at 10:30 a.m. and our schedule of events can be found on the website. Bishop John McDermott of Burlington will launch our Reflection Series on July 1st. We have planned two directed 5-Day Retreats, and there will be opportunities for individuals and families to make overnight pilgrimages using our cabins for the weekends of the Diocese of Burlington Family Day on July 19, the Feast of Saint Anne on July 26 and the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary on August 15. More information on these overnight opportunities will be posted on our webpage under the Retreats tab soon or you can call me at the office for more information.

We have been recovering from severe windstorms in the past several weeks. The framing of the Shrine sign on our grass parking area was destroyed, and the sign itself was damaged. A large tree was blown down and the kiosk near the chapel pavilion was damaged. There was siding torn off buildings and the grounds took a beating with downed branches. Add to this the list of improvements we want to make including new storm curtains and painting of the chapel pavilion, repairs to the cupola of the historic chapel, maintenance of granite benches, a new office printer and kitchen ice machine, just to name a few.

To help support our programs and repairs and in honor of our anniversaries of ordination, a friend has provided a matching gift initiative up to $50,000. Each dollar you contribute to the ministry of Saint Anne’s Shrine will be matched, up to a combined total of $100,000. Please consider making an anniversary gift to the Shrine so we can offer our programs and make necessary repairs. Thank you for your continued support! God bless you!

Sincerely,