ÉGLISE NOTRE-DAME-DE-JACQUES-CARTIER
Notre-Dame-de-Jacques-Cartier Church

Notre-Dame-de-Jacques-Cartier Church was constructed in 1851, following the plans of architect Raphaël Giroux, and originally served as a chapel for the Marian Congregation of men of the Lower Town.  It was exclusively reserved for this particular congregation until 1865.  In that year the church became a branch of the Saint-Roch Parish so as to meet the needs of the growing population.  Nicknamed the leaning steeple church, Notre-Dame-de-Jacques-Cartier is remarkable for its interior and exterior simplicity.

The interior décor of the building is of Neo-Classical style.  The altarpiece of the main altar is in the shape of a triumphal arch and the side galleries are supported by pillars.  The ensemble of pillars and side galleries is the work of sculptor Ferdinand Villeneuve.  Around 1889, Edouard Meloche adorned the church with portraits painted on the inside of medallions, but only a few remain in the church today.  Three paintings by Adolphe Rho are also hung in the church: The Annunciation, St. Joseph, and The Assumption.  Adolphe Rho also reproduced the sculpture la Dernière Cène originally by Léonard de Vinci.  This sculpture is found in the tomb of the main altar.

A Casavant organ was installed in the church in 1913 and the organ case is one of the most beautiful in Québec City.  In 1890, the members of the congregation donated a Way of the Cross to the church.  Each station is made of metal covered by enamel and the ensemble comes from Limoges in France.
 
Today, the Notre-Dame-de-Jacques-Cartier Church as well as Saint-Roch Church are part of the Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Roch Parish.  Notre-Dame-de-Jacques-Cartier is the native parish of Dina Bélanger, a nun of the Jésus-Marie community who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1993.
 
Points of Interest :

  • The interior décor painted by Meloche
  • The paintings by Adolphe Rho
  • The main altar by Villeneuve
  • The organ case
  • The Way of the Cross

Church Hours
Sunday: Open before and after mass

Église Notre-Dame-de-Jacques-Cartier
160 rue St-Joseph Est
Québec (Québec)
G1K 3B8

Telephone: (418) 524-3577
Fax: (418) 529-8335

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