The Saint-Sulpice Seminary (French:Vieux Séminaire de Saint-Sulpice) is a building in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

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 Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It is the second oldest structure in Montreal and was declared a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of t ...

in 1980. It is located in the Ville-Marie Borough in the

Old Montreal Old Montreal (French: ''Vieux-Montréal'') is a historic neighbourhood within the municipality of Montreal in the province of Quebec, Canada. Home to the Old Port of Montreal, the neighbourhood is bordered on the west by McGill Street, on th ...

district, next to Notre-Dame Basilica on

Notre-Dame Street Notre-Dame Street (officially in french: Rue Notre-Dame) is a historic east-west street located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It runs parallel to the Saint Lawrence River, from Lachine to the eastern tip of the island in Pointe-aux-Trembles, ...

, facing

Place d'Armes Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, a populated area lacking its own municipal government * "Place", a type of street or road name ** Often ...

. The

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

is a classic U-shaped building featuring a palatial style and includes an annex. Saint-Sulpice Seminary was founded in 1657 by the

Society of Priests of Saint Sulpice The Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice (french: Compagnie des Prêtres de Saint-Sulpice), abbreviated PSS also known as the Sulpicians is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men, named after the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, ...

, who have been the sole owner of the building since its creation. Construction began in 1684 by

François Dollier de Casson François Dollier de Casson (1636 – 27 September 1701) was born in France into a wealthy bourgeois and military family. He began his adult life in the army which he left after three years to continue his studies and become a priest. After beco ...

, superior of the Sulpicians, and was completed in 1687, although later additions, such as the clock, were completed by 1713. It was dedicated to the education of secular priests and to mission work among native peoples in

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spai ...

Clock

The façade of the building is adorned with a clock, constructed and installed in 1701, near the top. The clock’s dial was created in Paris, engraved by Paul Labrosse and gilded by the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame. The clock is one of the oldest of its kind in North America.

Seminary gardens

Following a monastic tradition, the Sulpicians built a garden in the 17th century near their seminary to grow fruits and vegetables. The garden borrowed the French tradition from the Renaissance of the geometrical arrangement of the aisles with the lawn and central statue. The gardens are one of the oldest gardens of its kind in North America.

Notable alumni

James Augustine Healy James Augustine Healy (April 6, 1830 – August 5, 1900) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first African American to serve as a Catholic priest or bishop. With his predominantly European ancestry, Healy passed for a ...

, first known African-American Catholic priest in history; later transferred to Sulpician seminary in Paris.

Notes

Bibliography

Hustak, Alan. “ aint Patrick’s of Montreal: The Biography of a Basilica” The Gazette (Index-Only). 1998. Leitch, Gillian Irene. “Community and Identity in Nineteenth Century Montreal: The Founding of Saint Patrick’s Church.” University of Ottawa Canada, 2009.' Oliver Maurault, "Le Troisieme Centenaire de Saint-Sulpice" (Monreal: Le Devoir) 1941. "Saint-Sulpice Seminary and its Gardens". Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada. Parks Canada. Retrieved August 17, 2011. Saint-Sulpice Seminary and its Gardens. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved August 17, 2011. The Canadian Province Sulpicans, "A brief history: The Society of Saint Sulpice in Canada" "The Old Seminary and Notre-Dame Basilica". Old Montreal Web site. Retrieved 2009-01-08. "National Historic Sites Of Canada System Plan". Parks Canada. Retrieved 2009-01-08. {{authority control 1657 establishments in the French colonial empire 1687 establishments in the French colonial empire Educational buildings in Montreal Estate gardens in Canada French colonial architecture in Canada Heritage buildings of Quebec History of Montreal Landmarks in Montreal National Historic Sites in Quebec New France Old Montreal Religious buildings and structures completed in 1687 Roman Catholic churches completed in 1687 Seminaries and theological colleges in Canada Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings 17th-century churches in Canada Religious buildings and structures in Montreal

Clock

Seminary gardens

Notable alumni

See also

Notes

Bibliography