Saint-Roch Church (Quebec City)

The Église Saint-Roch, in the parish of Notre-Dame de Saint-Roch[1] is the largest church in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was constructed between 1914 and 1923. It is the fourth successive church of the same name to be constructed at the site.[2] The church lost its visual dominance of the city after the construction of a mall in 1974. The mall has since been demolished and today the church is at the heart of the revitalisation of the neighbourhood.

Saint-Roch Church
Église Saint-Roch
Saint-Roch Church Location of Saint-Roch Church in Quebec City
46°48′49″N 71°12′21″W
Location	160, rue Saint-Joseph Est Quebec City, Quebec G1K 3A7
Country	Canada
Denomination	Catholic Church
History
Founded	1811
Dedication	Saint Roch
Architecture
Architect(s)	Talbot et Dionne
Architectural type	Rationalism
Groundbreaking	1914
Completed	1923
Specifications
Capacity	1,250
Length	265 ft (81 m)
Width	111 ft (34 m)
Number of spires	2
Spire height	150 ft (46 m)
Materials	Stone
Administration
Parish	Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Roch
Archdiocese	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec
Clergy
Archbishop	Gérald Lacroix

History of the parish

An epidemic hit the colony as the Recollects were building a hermitage which was then dedicated to Saint Roch, a patron saint of ailments, illness and dangers.[3] Saint Roch is also invoked against cholera, epidemics and plague, knee and skin problems, and is invoked to help bachelors, dogs, the falsely-accused, invalids, surgeons, and tile makers.[4]

As the neighbourhood increased in population and activity, a newer, bigger church was needed, one that suited the new centre of Quebec City.[5] The first public worship was held in 1917.

The current building

The design, by the same architects as the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica, combines a Gothic Revival exterior with a Romanesque Revival interior. The style was inspired by the work of Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc.

The steel-framed building is clad in black granite from nearby Rivière-à-Pierre and has two 45 metre steeples.[5]

The interior is made of Saskatchewan marble that contains visible fossils.[6] Inside is artisanal work, for example fine carpentry and sculpture in the oak furnishing, mosaic in the marble altar, and ironwork. The medieval-style windows show scenes of the New Testament, Old Testament, scenes from the religious history of Quebec, and scenes from the life of Saint Roch.[5] The church contains masterpieces including the "Vision de Saint Roch by Jacques Blanchard, La sainte Famille pendant la fuite en Égypte by Hyacinthe Collin de Vermont, and two paintings by Antoine Plamondon.[5]

Gallery

• 
  View down Rue Saint-Joseph
• 
  Interior

See also

• Blessed Dina Bélanger

References

1. "La paroisse Notre-Dame de Saint-Roch". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
2. "Église Saint-Roch". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
3. "La paroisse Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Roch". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
4. "Saint Roch". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
5. "Église Saint-Roch". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
6. "Quebec City Places of Worship & Religious Sites". Retrieved 4 January 2014.

External links

• Église Saint-Roch, Québec