Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, Montreal
Just to the east of Marché Bonsecours, Notre Dame de Bon-Secours Chapel is called the Sailors' Church because of the special attachment that fishermen and other mariners have to the church. The devotion of the church to mariners is manifest in the several ship models hanging for the ceiling inside. In addition to the ship models, a revered 16th-century 6-inch-high carving of the Madonna is once again on display. There's an excellent view of the harbor and the old quarter from the church's tower.
The first church building, which no longer stands, was the project of an energetic teacher named Marguerite Bourgeoys, and was built in 1678. Bourgeoys arrived with de Maisonneuve to undertake the education of the children of Montréal in the latter half of the 17th century. Later on, she and several other teachers founded a nuns' order called the Congregation of Notre-Dame, Canada's first nuns' order. The pioneering Bourgeoys was recognized as a saint in 1982. The present church dates from 1773.
A restored 18th-century crypt houses the museum. Part of the museum is devoted to relating the life and work of Marguerite Bourgeoys. Another section displays artifacts from the archaeological site under the chapel, including ruins and materials from the earliest days of the colony as well as an Amerindian fire pit dated to 400 B.C. In another area, a collection of dolls and miniature furnishings is arranged in 58 scenes depicting life in Québec from the earliest days of European settlement.
Sources
- Herbert Bailey Livesey, Frommer's Montreal and Quebec City 2006
