Saint-Roch Church (Quebec City)
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. 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.
As the neighbourhood increased in population and activity, a newer, bigger church was needed, one that suited the new centre of Quebec City. The first public worship was held in 1917.
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.
The interior is made of Saskatchewan marble that contains visible fossils. 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. 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.
Gallery
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View down Rue Saint-Joseph
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Interior
See also
References
- ^ "La paroisse Notre-Dame de Saint-Roch". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ "Église Saint-Roch". Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ "La paroisse Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Roch". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ "Saint Roch". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ "Église Saint-Roch". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ "Quebec City Places of Worship & Religious Sites". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
External links
- Église Saint-Roch, Québec Archived 2009-04-15 at the Wayback Machine