Église Saint-Félix de Cap-Rouge

Church of Saint-Félix de Cap-Rouge

 

The Parish of Cap-Rouge, located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, bears the proud distinction of having been the site of the first French colony in Canada. When Jacques Cartier landed there in 1541, plans were made to lay the foundations of a permanent colony. The ensuing attempts to do so were unsuccessful; nevertheless, a number of families were firmly settled in the region in the years following the foundation of Quebec City in 1637.

 

 

 By 1856, growth in the lumber trade and the pottery industry was bringing more and more people to the region. Because of the burgeoning population and the distance from the churches in Quebec City, authorization to build a church was requested. But the community was considered to be too small and the request was refused. A second request was made in 1858. This time, the construction of a chapel began even before the answer was given.

 Completed in 1859, the new church-chapel was served by a priest-chaplain until the village was officially made a parish in 1862 with the name of Saint-Félix-du-Cap-Rouge.

 

The church is the work of Joseph-Ferdinand Peachy, who put his signature to the plans for the church interior and the steeple. It was among the first commissions for this talented architect, who would later work with some of the most respected names in architecture, including Charles Baillargé. More work was done on the church in the following years with the addition of a rectory, a rood screen, and ornamentation and painted décor for the church interior.

 

The décor and ornamentation were modified extensively in the 1970s as part of an overall movement at the time to renovate the churches in Quebec. Today, we can admire a part of the painted décor which illustrates the life of Christ. The current site also includes the rectory from 1860-1861 of Quebec architectural design, the former rectory and a cemetery with a sculpture of Christ on the Cross, created in 1942 by celebrated artist Lauréat Vallière.

  

 

 In 2001, the Parish of Saint-Félix acquired an organ made specifically for the church. The organ, a creation of Guilbault and Thérien, is a classical French instrument with mechanical traction typical of the eighteenth century and is frequently used for recitals. The organ’s graceful charm fits in perfectly with this “true corner of paradise on earth,” as the site was called by Monsignor Taschereau, who served as Archbishop of Quebec at the beginning of the twentieth century.

 

Attractions:

· Various commemorative monuments

· The rectory

· The painted décor  

·  Christ on the Cross- 1942

  sculpture by Lauréat Vallière

· The organ by Guilbault and Thérien

 

Opening hours:

Every day: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

Visits:

Self-guided visits: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

Église Saint-Félix de Cap-Rouge

1460, rue Provancher

Saint-Romuald

Cap-Rouge (Québec)

G1Y 1S1

Telephone: (418) 653-5643

Fax: (418) 653-5646

E-mail: stfelix@saintfelixcaprouge.com