In the summer of 1892, the village of Canton, Minnesota became a place of pilgrimage and mystery. It began with a young girl who claimed to see the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus in the steeple window of the Church of the Assumption. Soon, hundreds of visitors—some traveling over 400 miles by wagon or horseback—flocked to Canton, seeking divine encounters and healing. Reported cures followed. The faithful prayed. The curious watched. The town swelled.
And just as quickly, the clergy intervened. Windows were removed. Boards were painted. The miracle was, officially, ended.
In this episode, Lenora and Preston trace the phenomenon from its spiritual spark to its scientific unraveling. Was it molecular polarization? Mass formation psychosis? Or something deeper—something that reveals our need for belief, connection, and hope?
📜 Sources Referenced
The New York Times, October 14, 1892
Winona Weekly Republican, August 31, 1892
Lanesboro Journal / La Crosse Chronicle, August 26, 1892
Winona Daily Herald, September 29, 1892 & December 16, 1892
Minneapolis Tribune, December 22, 1892 — Scientific analysis discrediting supernatural claims
Duluth Evening Herald, December 12, 1892
Mazeppa Tribune / Austin Herald, November 9, 1892
Fillmore County Journal, August 10, 2020
