People don’t know that you do not need to be a member of the Catholic faith, or Christian, not even a believer, to visit one of the sanctuaries or churches. In Montreal, we saw muslims and Indians, even atheists, visiting our shrines; they recognize the arts that were made to teach and beautify a church. Everyone knows the St. Joseph Oratory or the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, as well as the Vatican, the Saint James Convento in Santiago de Compostela, or Lourdes in France. I saw many little shrines here in Canada, and one of the nicest ones is Our Lady of Assomption in Acadia, New Brunswick.

Our Lady of the Assumption in Rogersville refers to two significant religious sites in Rogersville, New Brunswick, Canada: the Monument National Notre-Dame de l’Assomption (a Provincial Historic Site) and the Abbaye Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption (a Trappist nun monastery).

Monument national Notre-Dame de l’Assomption

This site is a significant place of pilgrimage for Acadians and was designated a Provincial Historic Site to honour the legacy of Monsignor Marcel-François Richard, a key leader in the Acadian renaissance.

Significance: Mgr. Richard was instrumental in the adoption of the Acadian flag and national anthem (“Ave Maris Stella”) and the selection of August 15 as the National Acadian Holiday.

Features: The site includes a chapel where Mgr. Richard’s remains are interred beneath a large mosaic of the Virgin of the Assumption, an entrance arch, outdoor Stations of the Cross, and grottoes dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima.

Location: It is located east of the Saint-François-de-Sales Church in the center of the Village of Rogersville.

Abbaye Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption
This is a contemplative community of Trappistine (Cistercian) nuns.
History: The abbey was founded in 1904 by Trappist sisters who had been forced to leave their monastery in Lyon, France, following an invitation from Mgr. Richard.

Location: In the forest near the village of Rogersville.
Both sites are central to the religious and cultural heritage of the Acadian people in New Brunswick.