The Jesuit Chapel is a

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

located in the

Old Quebec Old Quebec (french: Vieux-Québec) is a historic neighbourhood of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Comprising the Upper Town (french: Haute-Ville) and Lower Town (french: Basse-Ville), the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Administratively, Old ...

neighbourhood of

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada. It was designed by

François Baillairgé François Baillairgé (21 January 1759 – 15 September 1830) was an architect who also pursued painting and wood sculpture. The son of Jean Baillairgé, François began an apprenticeship in his father's shop at the age of 14. There he studied ...

and built in from 1818 to 1930. It is situated on Rue Dauphine in Old Quebec close to the

ramparts of Quebec City The ramparts of Quebec City is a city wall that surrounds the western end of Old Quebec's Upper Town in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The ramparts date back to the 17th century, with the ramparts having undergone a succession of modifications and i ...

History

Foundation

After the suppression of the Jesuits on 21 July 1773, the Bishop of Quebec

Jean-Olivier Briand Jean-Olivier Briand (January 23, 1715 – June 25, 1794) was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Quebec from 1766 to 1784. Life Jean-Olivier Briand was born at Plérin, Brittany on January 23, 1715. He studied at the Seminary of St. Brieu ...

allowed the Jesuits to remain Quebec. However, the government refused to allow the Jesuits to have any new members and would not allow any new French priests to come to Canada. This meant that the number of Jesuits reduced as their members died. The last Canadian Jesuit, Fr. Jean-Joseph Casot, died at Quebec in 1800.Jesuits
from ''

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available fo ...

'', retrieved 19 May 2015 Since the Jesuits were no longer present in Quebec, the Jesuit College, Quebec was run by the Notre-Dame-de-Québec Congregation. On 9 November 1817, they received approval from Archbishop Joseph-Octave Plessis to build a new chapel.

Construction

The chapel was designed by

. It was built on the former grounds of the

Jesuit College The Jesuits (Society of Jesus) in the Catholic Church have founded and managed a number of educational institutions, including the notable secondary schools, colleges and universities listed here. Some of these universities are in the United Stat ...

. Construction started in 1818 and completed in 1820. It was expanded in 1857, and a new facade was added in 1930. The main altar was built in 1888 by Eugène Taché and the windows were created in 1916 by Bernard Leonard. Initially, the chapel was served by

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

s from the Notre-Dame Basilica-Cathedral In 1842, the Jesuits returned to Quebec. In 1856, the Jesuits moved into a house near to the chapel. In 1907, the chapel was given over to the Jesuits. In 1949, the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...

was altered and statues and relics of the Canadian Martyrs were installed. The chapel was then dedicated to the

Canadian Martyrs The Canadian Martyrs, also known as the North American Martyrs (French language, French: ''Saints martyrs canadiens'', Holy Canadian Martyrs), were eight Jesuit missions in North America#Missions, Jesuit missionaries from Sainte-Marie among the H ...

. In 1992, the Maison Dauphine, a centre for

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

youth, was established next to the chapel. In the 2010s, this closed and a new charity was established on the ground floor, below the chapel. It is called Carrefour d'Action Interculturelle and works to improve the standard of living of migrants when they arrive in Quebec.

Gallery

File:Chapelle des Jesuites Quebec 01.jpg, Front of the chapel File:Chapelle des Jesuites Quebec 03.JPG, Plaque on the side wall File:Chapelle des Jesuites Quebec 05.JPG, Ville de Québec plaque File:Chapelle des Jesuites Quebec 04.JPG, Maison Dauphine entrance

References

External links