Five heritage places of worship
A new tourist, cultural and spiritual trail is born
May 20, 2016 – Five heritage places of worship have joined forces to offer a new tourist, cultural and spiritual itinerary on the South Shore: the River Sanctuaries. This circuit includes the Sainte-Marguerite-d’Youville Shrine in Varennes, the Centre Marie-Rose and the Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue Co-Cathedral in Longueuil, the Sainte-Famille Church in Boucherville and the Sainte-Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine in Kahnawake.
At the launch on May 18, Sylvain Bolduc, administrative manager of the Sainte-Anne de Varennes parish and the Sainte-Marguerite-d’Youville sanctuary, said: “By joining forces, we can now offer a great alternative to religious and cultural tourists. Our sanctuaries, modest in scale and welcoming in their warmth, are classified as historic monuments, and are rich in history dating back, for the most part, to the days of New France.”
The five sanctuaries
18th-century Jesuit mission established within the Mohawk community. Built in 1720 in the former Fort Saint-Louis, the mission displays historical, cultural and archaeological treasures, including the tomb of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, a young Amerindian woman canonized in Rome in 2012.
Inaugurated in 1887, it features Gothic Revival architecture and a neo-Byzantine dome. Its museum, which reopens on June 29, houses a collection of sacred objects and artifacts dating back to the parish’s origins in 1698.
The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary invite the public to visit the Foundation House, the chapel, the museum and the rooms where their Foundress lived on a daily basis. Marie-Rose’s tomb is on display at the Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue Co-Cathedral, a 2-minute walk away.
Founded in 1667, Boucherville is one of Quebec’s oldest towns, with Place de l’Église at its historic heart. In 2017, it will celebrate the 350th anniversary of Pierre Boucher’s death and the 300th anniversary of the town he founded.
Dedicated to Canada’s first saint, the sanctuary occupies the very spot where Marguerite d’Youville was born. The Maison de l’exposition offers an insight into her life, works and spirituality. Her tomb rests in the funerary chapel in the Basilica of Sainte-Anne (1887).
