The Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God is described in the online Catholic Encyclopedia. Her pregnancy became known to Joseph as follows:
"After her return from Elizabeth, Mary "was found with child, of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:18). As among the Jews, betrothal was a real marriage, the use of marriage after the time of espousals presented nothing unusual among them. Hence Mary's pregnancy could not astonish anyone except St. Joseph. As he did not know the mystery of the Incarnation, the situation must have been extremely painful both to him and to Mary. The Evangelist says: "Whereupon Joseph her husband being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately" (Matthew 1:19). Mary left the solution of the difficulty to God, and God informed the perplexed spouse in His own time of the true condition of Mary. While Joseph "thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. For He shall save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:20-21).
Not long after this revelation, Joseph concluded the ritual marriage contract with Mary. The Gospel simply says: "Joseph rising up from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife" (Matthew 1:24). While it is certain that between the betrothal and the marriage at least three months must have elapsed, during which Mary stayed with Elizabeth, it is impossible to determine the exact length of time between the two ceremonies. We do not know how long after the betrothal the angel announced to Mary the mystery of the Incarnation, nor do we know how long the doubt of Joseph lasted, before he was enlightened by the visit of the angel. From the age at which Hebrew maidens became marriageable, it is possible that Mary gave birth to her Son when she was about thirteen or fourteen years of age. No historical document tells us how old she actually was at the time of the Nativity. "
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History of the Girouxville Parish where the statue and the Stations of the Cross are found:
"Girouxville parish reaches milestone birthday
Emily Plihal
Smoky River Express
Girouxville parish will be turning 80 years old this year holding a rich history in the community. The first parish, originally built in 1928, was a worshiping place for settlers to the area. “The first houses were moved to Girouxville in 1928,” explains museum board member Helene Couillard. “Initially Girouxville was located where the Dreau site is.” Originally Girouxville was known as Fowler, a name given by the railway when it first opened a train station at the Dreau settlement. The town was located two miles east of its current location. The first colony settled in 1917 around a post-office and railway station. Soon Falher moved to its current location, and to avoid confusion between the very similar names (Falher and Fowler), settlers from Fowler asked that the town name be switched to Girouxville as recognition to Father Henri Giroux who brought settlers to the community. Girouxville soon moved to its current site, with pioneers beginning to build their community. On October 15, 1928 the construction of the first parish began on four acres of land donated by Eusebe Belanger. The church was blessed on Dec. 1, 1928 with the name “Paroisse Notre Dame de Lourdes” by Msgr. Grouard. Msgr. Grouard chose the name after attending a pilgrimage in Lourdes, France. He received a Notre Dame statue which still presides in the Girouxville church. The original church site was where the current Caisse Horizon bank is on Main Street of Girouxville. In the past the parish was even converted into a school, the first teacher was Miss Mary Monrow in Jan 1929. On Sept. 3, 1940 Father Clement Desrochers O.M.I. is curate for the parish. In May 1941, the first grotto was built on the church grounds with his direction. Over the years, the parish has seen a variety of changes, including the construction of a convent that housed both students and nuns. The convent was built in 1946 to accommodate to 62 students. “The parish grounds have held a pilgrimage since Aug. 15, 1942 on the same date of each year,” says Couillard. “Even to this day we still have a pilgrimage at the modern church.” For the first regional pilgrimage, the Sisters of Holy Cross arrived in Girouxville. At the time their count was 137 catholic families who attended the parish. With an ever-growing number of parishioners, Father Desrochers decided that the church was no longer large enough. Construction of the new (and current parish) began in 1948. “Initially only the church basement was constructed and used as the church,” explains Couillard. “Father Desrochers had dreams of a large church but the parish did not have adequate money to build the facility.” Under the ordination of Father Rene Belanger, the roof on the basement was removed and the construction to finish the church started on June 29, 1960. On Sept. 8, 1963 the church was blessed by Msgr. H. Routhier. In 1962, the modern grotto and the Way of the Cross were built on the current church site. “Over the years the parish has seen many changes,” says Couillard. “Still to this day the parish provides a place to be thankful for our many blessings in life.” Couillard would like to thank Girouxville Museum for the use of their information and pictures. "
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