The archway at the entrance to the Our Lady Fatima shrine, inscribed with the names of the 46 men who enlisted and served in the Second World War from the community of Debden, Sask. All 46 came home alive. (Cecile Demers/Submitted)

‘Miracle of Debden’: Sask. village retells Remembrance Day story

By Phil Wood Nov 10, 2026 | 6:00 AM

A small Saskatchewan community is sharing a story of thanks this Remembrance Day.

Local historian Cecile Demers said the people of Debden will spend the day recounting the “miracle” that protected 46 local men from harm as they served in Canada’s armed forces during the Second World War.

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“It was their priority to go to war,” she said. “They would rather stay home and farm, but they went regardless.”

A predominantly French-speaking agrarian community, Debden is located about 100 kilometres west of Prince Albert. The village, which marked its 100th anniversary in 2022, is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Fred Sasakamoose, the first NHL player to hold First Nations treaty status.

“The population has gone down considerably,” Demers explained. “It’s an aging community, but we still have a grocery store and a school. We are still surviving.”

She said the village holds Remembrance Day services every year at the school and the local church.

The ‘Miracle’ of Debden

Demers, who was born in 1950, said she spent her entire life in Debden and learned about the local veterans, their families and the “miracle” from a young age.

In a statement shared on the village’s website, the community said local priest Mgr. J.E. Joyal presided over St. John the Baptist Parish when the Second World War began in 1939.

He encouraged his congregation to pray for the 46 men who enlisted.

“He said, ‘We’re going to pray for them,’” Demers explained. “‘We’re going to pray for a miracle that they all come back.’”

Joyal decorated the church altar with the soldiers’ pictures to remind the townsfolk to pray for their safe return.

“They did pray, and they all came back alive,” Demers said. “We consider this a miracle of Debden.”

She added that Joyal made a promise to the Virgin Mary that he would erect a memorial to the soldiers, which still stands beside the church today.

The Our Lady Fatima shrine in Debden, Sask., on Nov. 8, 2026. A statement from the Village of Debden said it took four years to build and was completed in 1949. (Cecile Demers/Submitted)

According to the village, construction of the Our Lady of Fatima statue began in 1945, and was completed in 1949.

“At the entrance, there’s an arch that lists all the people who went to war – the First World War and the Second World War,” Demers said.

The village said the memorial is maintained through fundraisers and donations, including the installation of new pillars with updated names.

Demers said community members gather at the shrine every summer.

“Every June 24 at St. John the Baptist Parish, we meet at Fatima for prayers and song,” Demers said. “We gather for a lunch in the basement of the church, and we share the story.”