Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel

Last updated
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours 02.jpg
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
Location400, rue Saint-Paul Est
Montreal, Quebec
H2Y 1H4
Denomination Roman Catholic
History
Status Chapel
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designation
TypeClassified heritage immovable
Designated2014-11-10
Part of Old Montreal
Reference no.96643 [1]
Architectural typeNorman-Gothic

The Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel (chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, "Our Lady of Good Help") is a church in the district of Old Montreal in Montreal, Quebec. One of the oldest churches in Montreal, it was built in 1771 over the ruins of an earlier chapel. The church is located at 400 Saint Paul Street East at Bonsecours Street, just north of the Bonsecours Market in the borough of Ville-Marie (Champ-de-Mars metro station).

Contents

History

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, the first teacher in the colony of Ville-Marie and the founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame, rallied the colonists to build a chapel in 1655. In 1673, returning from France, Bourgeoys brought a wooden image of Our Lady of Good Help; the stone church was completed in 1678. It burned in 1754, the reliquary and statue being rescued and placed above the entrance of the rebuilt church of 1771.

After Montreal was conquered by British forces during the French and Indian War, the church was attended by Irish and Scottish troops and families, and saw fundraising to build Saint Patrick's Church, Montreal's first anglophone Catholic parish.

In the 19th century, the chapel came to be a pilgrimage site for the sailors who arrived in the Old Port of Montreal; they would make offerings to the Virgin in gratitude for her "good help" for safe sea voyages. In 1849, Mgr. Ignace Bourget, Bishop of Montreal, gave the chapel a statue of the Virgin as Star of the Sea, which was placed atop the church overlooking the harbour. Emphasizing the connection of the chapel and the port, the chapel is often called the Sailors' Church.

The chapel now also houses the Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum, dedicated to the life of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys and to the early history of Montreal and the chapel site. Below the chapel, the crypt is being excavated as an archeological site, which visitors can see. First Nations and French colonial artifacts have been discovered, along with the foundations of the first chapel and the fortifications of the colony. The church's prominent spire can also be climbed, offering views of the Old Port and Saint Lawrence River. In 2005, Marguerite Bourgeoys's mortal remains were brought back to the church, where she now lies in the sanctuary.

Related Research Articles

Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LaSalle, Quebec</span> Borough of Montreal in Quebec, Canada

LaSalle is the most southerly borough (arrondissement) of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located in the south-west portion of the Island of Montreal, along the Saint Lawrence River. Prior to 2002, it was a separate municipality that had been incorporated in 1912.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champ-de-Mars station (Montreal Metro)</span> Montreal Metro station

Champ-de-Mars station is a Montreal Metro station in the borough of Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and serves the Orange Line. It is located in Old Montreal by the Champ de Mars park. It opened on October 14, 1966, as part of the original Metro network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ville-Marie, Montreal</span> Borough of Montreal in Quebec, Canada

Ville-Marie is the name of a borough (arrondissement) in the centre of Montreal, Quebec. The borough is named after Fort Ville-Marie, the French settlement that would later become Montreal, which was located within the present-day borough. Old Montreal is a National Historic Site of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fassett, Quebec</span> Municipality in Quebec, Canada

Fassett is a municipality and village in the Papineau Regional County Municipality in Quebec, Canada, located on the north shore of the Ottawa River east of Montebello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Montreal</span> Neighbourhood of Montreal in Quebec, Canada

Old Montreal is a historic neighbourhood within the municipality of Montreal in the province of Quebec, Canada. Home to the Old Port of Montreal, the neighbourhood is bordered on the west by McGill Street, on the north by Ruelle des Fortifications, on the east by rue Saint-André, and on the south by the Saint Lawrence River. Following recent amendments, the neighbourhood has expanded to include the Rue des Soeurs Grises in the west, Saint Antoine Street in the north, and Saint Hubert Street in the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marguerite Bourgeoys</span> French religious sister and saint

Marguerite Bourgeoys, CND, was a French religious sister and founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal in the colony of New France, now part of Québec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Denis Street</span>

Saint Denis Street is a major north–south thoroughfare in Montreal, Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonsecours Market</span>

Bonsecours Market at 350 Saint-Paul street in Old Montreal, is a two-story domed public market located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. For more than 100 years, it was the main public market in the Montreal area. It also briefly accommodated the Parliament of United Canada for one session in 1849.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal</span> Roman Catholic religious congregation

The Congrégation de Notre Dame (CND) is a religious community for women founded in 1658 in Ville Marie (Montreal), in the colony of New France, now part of Canada. It was established by Marguerite Bourgeoys, who was recruited in France to create a religious community in Ville Marie. She developed a congregation for women that was not cloistered; the sisters were allowed to live and work outside the convent. The congregation held an important role in the development of New France, as it supported women and girls in the colony and offered roles for them outside the home.

Jules Lasalle is a Canadian sculptor living and working in Montreal. He has made many commemorative monuments that can be seen in Montreal, Longueuil, Quebec City, and other places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maison Saint-Gabriel</span> Farm museum in Quebec, Canada

The Maison Saint-Gabriel Museum is located in Montreal, Quebec and is dedicated to preserving the history, heritage and artifacts of the settlers of New France in the mid 17th century. The museum consists of a small farm, which has been administered for more than 300 years by the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal, founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys in Montreal in 1658.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint-Paul Street (Montreal)</span>

Rue Saint-Paul is a street in the Old Montreal historic area of Montreal, Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre-Dame Street</span> Street in Montreal, Quebec

Notre-Dame Street is a historic east–west street located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It runs parallel to the Saint Lawrence River, from Lachine to the eastern tip of the island in Pointe-aux-Trembles, then continuing off the island into the Lanaudière region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre-Dame Basilica (Montreal)</span> Church in Quebec, Canada

The Notre-Dame Basilica is a basilica in the historic district of Old Montreal, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The church is located at 110 Notre-Dame Street West, at the corner of Saint Sulpice Street. It is located next to the Saint-Sulpice Seminary and faces the Place d'Armes square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, Quebec</span> Municipality in Quebec, Canada

Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours is a municipality in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. It is located along the Ottawa River, about 55 kilometres (34 mi) east of Gatineau. It was formerly known as Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours-Partie-Nord. It is the least populated municipality in the Papineau Regional County Municipality.

Bon Secour, Bon Secours, or Bonsecours may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum (Montreal)</span> Biographical museum in Montreal, Quebec

Opened on May 24, 1998, the Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum is located on the shores of the Saint Lawrence River in the historic centre of Old Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Exhibits focus on Marguerite Bourgeoys, Montreal's first teacher and founder of the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, who lived during the 17th century. Displays highlight her accomplishments that recall the great courage of the early colonists who built Montreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilique Notre-Dame de Bonsecours</span>

The Basilique Notre Dame du Bon Secours, Marie Auxiliatrice is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Bonsecours near Rouen, Seine—Maritime, France. It is the first church in France to be built in the Gothic Revival style. The basilica is highly ornately decorated with windows, sculptures and other elements often carrying the name or coat of arms of a patronal donor.

References

  1. "Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours". Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec (in French). Retrieved 13 November 2014.

45°30′36″N73°33′04″W / 45.51000°N 73.55111°W / 45.51000; -73.55111