Our Lady of Victory
La defensa de Quebec ante el almirante Phips · Ciudad de Quebec · Octubre de 1690
The siege of the English Navy
In October 1690, the colony of New France lived one of the most dramatic moments in its history. A fleet of 34 English ships from the Massachusetts colony, under the command of Admiral William Phips, went up the San Lorenzo River and founded in front of Quebec on October 16. Phips sent an emissary to Governor Frontenac demanding immediate surrender. The governor replied with a phrase that would become a symbol of the Canadian resistance: "Return to your master: I will answer him by the mouth of my cannons." However, the city's defenses were scarce and the inhabitants, terrified, resorted to prayer. The bishop, the clergy and the people fell down before the image of the Virgin, imploring her intercession.
The unexpected victory and the vow to the Virgin
The English attempts to land troops through the Saint- Charles River Valley were rejected by the Canadians. Phips tried to bomb the city from his ships, but the cannons caused little damage. As the fall progressed, the ice began to form in the San Lorenzo: the admiral, afraid to get caught in the ice-cream river, ordered to lift anchors on October 23 and the fleet left without taking Quebec. The inhabitants, convinced that the Virgin had interceded, sang the Te Deum in the chapel of a new church that was then built. The chapel, whose construction had begun in 1688, was named "Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire." After a second victory over the English in 1711, the church became known as Notre-Dame-des-Victoires (plural), a name that it retains today.
A living monument in the Plaza Real
The church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires rises on Place Royale, the historical heart of Bajo Quebec, on the ruins of Samuel de Champlain's first advanced position. It is the oldest stone church in Canada. Destroyed by the English bombing of 1759, it was restored in the 19th century and again in the 1969- 1979 years with criteria of historical authenticity. Every year thousands of pilgrims and tourists visit this temple which the Quebequense popular piety considers a monument to Mary's protection over the French-Canadian nation.
refuge from those who have no strength but prayer,
intercede for us before your Son
and protect those who trust in your protection. Amen.