1853 - Église St-Vincent-de-Paul - Laval, QC
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Laval K-9
N 45° 36.919 W 073° 38.713
18T E 605628 N 5052200
L'église de St-Vincent-de-Paul à Laval date de 1853.
Waymark Code: WMQVGQ
Location: Québec, Canada
Date Posted: 03/31/2016
Views: 8
Since 1698, attached to the Repentigny parish, the settlers build and use, from 1702, a first chapel devoted to the Child-Jesus served by Rev Pierre Voland de Saint-Claude. In 1706, a church, the first one on Jesus Island, is built and dedicated to St François-de-Sales. The first parish priest is Rev Jean-François de Buisson of Saint-Côme.
The roots of the St Vincent-de-Paul parish date from March 16th, 1740 when a request by the colony treasurer, Gilles Hocquart, orders the foundation of two new parishes on Jesus Island. A church is built in St Rose, but since the south coast settlers have a change of mind, the St Vincent-de-Paul parish is created only three years later. From 1740 till 1743, the settlers must attend religious services in St François-de-Sales church or in Sault-aux-Récollets parish. In January 1743, a request for opening a place of worship in St Vincent-de-Paul is finally sent to the bishop. On February 5th, 1743, Bishop Henri-Marie Dubreuil de Pontbriand, last Bishop of Quebec under the French regime, undertakes to break-up St François-de-Sales parish and create a new parish entity dedicated to St Vincent-de-Paul. The canonical erection of the parish will be effective on November 25th, 1841 by Bishop Ignace Bourget, of Montreal.
In 1744, Rev Olivier-Marie Semelle, the first parish priest, undertakes the construction of the parish church which will be used as aplace of worship during a hundred years. The church, built by Jean-Baptiste Deguire over an eight-year period, is located at the foot of the Pinière, the facade turned eastward by the waterside. Walls were made of field stones and the rest is made of wooden framework, as is was required by the architectural techniques of that time. The prebytery is built during the summer period of 1743 and is completed in October.
In the 1800s, population grew rapidly and the church is considered too small for the needs of the many parishioners. In 1853, Rev Norbert Lavallée, the eleventh parish priest, undertakes the construction of the actual church, which is located on the top of the slope and no longer by the waterside. The architecture of the church is entrusted to Victor Bourgeau and construction to contractor Célestin Labelle and master carpenter Jean-Baptiste Joly. Construction starts on May 3rd, 1854. The new building is blessed on December 27th, 1855 by Bishop Joseph Larocque, coadjutor Bishop of Montreal. In 1857, the first church is demolished, but altars, pulpit, benches and chandelier are transported into the new building. The new church is dedicated on May 28th, 1874 by Bishop Édouard-Charles Fabre, of Montreal.
The building is rectangular with a protruding chancel and a semi-circular apse. The lateral walls and the apse are made of field stones, while the facade is paleolith, coming probably from nearby quarries. With its two imposing towers topped by slender steeples, the building shows a remarkable balance and a lot of elegance. The interior, of Renaissance Romanesque style, is remarquable for the appropriateness of its proportions, the harmony of its architectural layout and the quality of its elements. The original decoration which combines the pure whiteness of the walls, columns and vault, with ornamental elements gilded with gold leaf gave the church a beauty perfectly adapted to its function and to its architectural style. It is indeed one of the most beautiful churches in Quebec.
The second presbytery, built in 1862 and measuring 40 feet (19.2 meters) long on 36 feet (11 meters) wide and 26 feet (7.9 meters) high, was demolished in August, 1963 to make room for a new building.
In the 1960s, shortly after Vatican II liturgical reform, the church is subjected to transformations not always for better. Nevertheless, the parishioners are eager to give the church its bygone cachet and the building remains a nice religious monument and a place of worship which favours meditation.
The municipality of St Vincent-de-Paul parish became city of Duvernay, on February 6th, 1957 and, on August 6th, 1965, it is merged with thirteen other municipalities to create the city of Laval.
The date is written on a pedestal underneath a statue of St-Vincent-de-Paul on top of the facade right between the two steeples.
Year of construction: 1853
Full inscription:
1853
Cross-listed waymark: Not listed
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