Nearly 300 years old. That’s the age of the oldest painting in the basilica, acquired in 1730 and depicting Saint Anne and her daughter Mary. But what makes it even more special than its age is that it seems capable of… miracles.
During another spring, when the St. Lawrence River threatened to overflow its banks and flood the church, the famous painting was brought to shore… and the waters magically receded. What’s more, after investigation, Monseigneur Bourget determined that on three occasions, when there was drought in all the neighboring villages, it rained in Varennes. And only in Varennes. Another miracle can be added to the picture.
Every year, on July 26, the painting is brought out of the church to mark the feast of Sainte-Anne.