Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

The White Virgin over the Saguenay Fjord

Saguenay (Canada) (1878-1881)

High atop Cap Trinité, overlooking the imposing Saguenay Fjord, stands a white statue of the Virgin Mary, several meters tall, seemingly watching over the waters. Its story begins with a fright and a promise.

In 1878, Charles-Napoléon Robitaille, a merchant from Quebec, fell onto the ice of the Saguenay River in an accident that, according to him, should have cost him his life. In the midst of the danger, he invoked the Virgin Mary and promised that, if he survived, he would erect a monument to her. He did survive. And he kept his promise: he commissioned a large statue of the Virgin Mary, which was transported with enormous difficulty, by boat and sledge, to the foot of Cap Trinité, and blessed in 1881. From then on, it became a symbol for sailors and inhabitants throughout the Saguenay region.

There's also a detail that locals pass down orally: they say that during the difficult assembly, some pieces of the statue or auxiliary elements fell down the rocky slope and reappeared intact in an almost inaccessible spot, which some interpreted as a sign of the Virgin's protection. It's important to put this in context: it's oral tradition. What is documented is that Robitaille commissioned the statue as a votive offering of gratitude and that its transport and installation were a true feat. The detail of the "miraculously intact" pieces is not found in official diocesan documents nor is there a precise technical description.

Today, the White Virgin continues to inspire vows: sailors and even kayaking enthusiasts on the fjord look to her as the protector of those who travel by water. An image born from a simple "thank you" that the cold of the Saguenay could not extinguish.