Denomination: CATHOLIC

Sainte-Cunégonde Church
2461 Saint-Jacques Street, Montreal (Quebec) H3J 1H8


View of the church,
Saint-Jacques Street
Photo: C. Turmel 		he church is dedicated to Cunegund, wife of Henri II, Duke of Bavaria. She was canonized by Innocent III in 1200.
In December 1875, the parish of Saint Cunegund was separated from the parish of Saint Henri. The previous year, the municipality of Saint Cunégonde had separated itself from the town of Saint Henry; it should be noted that with the efforts in construction and speculation of Coursol, Delisle and Workman, this territory was undergoing tremendous development.
onsignor Fabre blessed the first chapel which was constructed on the former site of a Protestant church (Windstaley Hall). Between 1877 and 1885, on Iberville Square, the construction of an elegant church with a Jesuit plan was underway following the plans of J.R. Poitras and Victor Roy. These architects also designed the presbytery adjoining the church.
The presbytery survives while the church was destroyed in January 1904. The limestone presbytery is three-storied and has a mansard roof pierced by delightful outmoded dormer windows. The interior has maintained the magnificent Late Victorian wood paneling, staircase, and stained glass.

fter the fire, the parish approached architect J.O. Marchand, trained at the Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was renowned for his work on the chapel of the Grand Seminary and the chapel at the Mother House of the Soeurs de la Congrégation. With this church Marchand moved away from the aesthetic of his first church and designed a Beaux-Arts church with a basilica plan, without transepts, and entirely free of columns. He was strongly inspired by the Chapel of the Grand Seminary at Issy-les-Moulinaux in France.


View of the church,
St-Antoine and Vinet Street
Photo: C. Turmel
Detail of the main entrance
Photo: C. Turmel
Façade
Photo: C. Turmel

he façade is imposing in its composition. A large portal with ionic engaged pilasters takes the place of the rose window and the real portal which is composed of doric elements. This use of the doric order is very uncommon in Catholic churches in Quebec making the façade a supreme expression of the splendour of austerity.


Bell tower
Photo: C. Turmel 		he five bells are named Leo, Paul, Henry, Francis-Xavier, and Cunégonde, and were blessed in 1907.
Sainte-Cunégonde was renovated in 1984 under the direction of architect Claude Beaulieu.

Text: Archdiocese of Montreal
English translation: Clara Gabriel
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