Gagnier (Gagne) History Web Site
by Rev. John F. Gagnier
Section
Five: Family Commemorative Plaques
After
reading this section,
click on the blue link at the bottom of the page to go to Section Six:
Gagne-Bellavance
Family Association and a Note from Fr. Gagnier
SAINTE ANNE DE
BEAUPRE: ONE PARISH, THREE CENTURIES,
Louis Gasnier was involved in the building of the first church of Saint Anne in 1658, whose site is marked by a commemorative plaque in the park in front of the present Basilica.
Some records of the time show him as the recipient of the first
miraculous cure, healed of lumbago while laying the foundation stones for the
church. Other records list the recipient as Louis Guimont.
The parish is named for Saint Anne, the wife of Saint Joachim.
She was the mother of the Virgin Mary and the grandmother of Jesus Christ.
A second church was built to the east of the first in 1661, the year of
Louis' death.
It quickly became too small for parishioners and pilgrims coming in great
numbers.
The third church was built in 1676. After renovation and enlargement, it served
for two centuries until its demolition and replacement in 1876.
A vast church was opened in 1876 as Saint Anne was named patroness of
Two years later, the Redemptorists were named
Guardians of the Shrine,
which was named a Basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1887.
The Basilica was destroyed by fire on March 29, 1922.
Construction began in 1923 on the present Basilica, the fifth
It tells the Old Testament story and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in images of
stone and glass.
Thousands of pilgrims visit this church each year to pray and renew their faith
in God.
The "Souvenir" or Memorial Chapel at St. Anne de Beaupre was
built
in 1878 from stones of the third church which stood from 1676 to 1876.
It is built upon the foundations of the transept, or side chapel of the third
church.
Gagne Commemorative Plaque in
A plaque was
unveiled at the 1953 Gagne Tricentennial
which commemorated the arrival of Pierre Gagne in 1653.
It was placed by the
Pierre Gagne (1610-1656) and Louis Gagne (1612-1661)
and their wives who were the first of the family to emigrate from
The plaque is located on the front
of the "Souvenir" or Memorial Chapel at
The "Souvenir" chapel was built in 1878 with materials from the third
church which stood from 1676 to 1876.
The plaque was completely restored
in the summer of 1999.
The restoration was done because of a letter written to the government in 1997
by the President of the Gagne-Bellavance Association, Mr. Raymond Gagnier.
He wrote a letter at the request of Father John F. Gagnier.
The Association reimbursed the
Below is a photograph of the
Memorial Chapel with the 1953 Plaque indicated by a circle.
The restored plaque itself is also shown with an English translation below it.
Below are photos
of the Basilica of
Construction began in 1923 and the dedication was on July 4, 1976 by Maurice
Cardinal Roy of
Basilica of
Basilica of
Gagne Commemorative Plaques in
Photos below were taken by Daniel Gagne of Quebec in 2011.
Below is the
church attended by Louis and Marie in the town of St-Cosme-en-Vairais.
In 1644, they were the first residents of the town to emigrate
to
Four of
The Association of
Gagne-Bellavance Families in America
placed a plaque here on June 1, 1995 in homage to both couples.
The ceremony took place one day earlier than scheduled.
The date on the plaque is June 2, 1995.
Translation of the above plaque:
Louis Gasnier
and Marie Michel
Pierre Gasnier and Marguerite Rosee
Pioneers to
Association of Gagne-Bellavance
Families
June 2, 1995
Below is a commemorative plaque placed
by the Perche-Canada Committee in the above church in 1968.
This plaque honors several families who left this area of
in the Seventeenth Century, including the Gasnier
family.
Translation of the above plaque:
To the families
of St. Cosme de Vair, Notre
Dame de Vair
and Champaissant
who departed in the Seventeenth Century for New France
Bisson-Boullard-Bouchard-Dodier
Fortin-Garnier-Gasnier
Lereau-Maufay
Pouliot-Rocheron
Rouillard-Roullois
I Remember
Interior of the Church of St. Cosme
This picture shows both the 1968 and 1995 plaques.
Section 6: The Association and A note from Fr. Gagnier
Click
above for information
on how you can have your
Gagne family tree done by the Association.
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Gagnier
(Gagne) History Web Site
by Rev. John F. Gagnier
Last
modified on Tuesday February 7, 2012