Samuel de Champlain foundation found under Quebec church

Quebec City's oldest surviving church includes St. Genevieve's chapel built in 1723

St. Genevieve – January 3

- WCR photo by Ted Fitzgerald The altar of the St. Genevieve Chapel includes symbols that illustrate her talents as a protector from famine.

By TED FITZGERALD
Special to the WCR
Quebec City

It seems appropriate that at the beginning of the year celebrating the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City by Samuel de Champlain, a saint's feast day should be observed in the city's oldest surviving church, a building positioned on the site of the founder's Quebec home.

There, on Jan. 3 in the church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, parishioners and others will honour the patron of the capital of the ancient homeland of French Canadians, Sainte-Genevieve of Paris.

It presents an opportunity for those recovering from the New Year's Eve spectacular on the huge stage of the ancient city walls to attend Mass in the historic stone church and share in the traditional distribution of Sainte-Genevieve's little breads.

L'Abitation built in 1608

Although Jacques Cartier had spent a winter within the limits of the present-day city in 1535, the origins of the settlement and in some respects the beginnings of the country of Canada, are dated to 1608 when Champlain built his l'Abitation near the river in what is now known as Place Royale.

Later abandoned, the site was used for the precursor to Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church. Archeologists, working around and under the church, have identified the foundations of Champlain's establishment and the outlines of the building have been painted on the pavement around the church to help visitors appreciate the history of the site.

Our Lady of Victory

Construction of a sanctuary was begun in 1688 as a branch of the future upper town cathedral to serve area residents. Named to honour the Child Jesus, it was re-dedicated to Our Lady of Victory following prayers for her intercession in the defeat of an English force under Phipps at Quebec in 1690.

Twenty-one years later, destruction in a storm of another British invasion fleet in the lower St. Lawrence resulted in the plural designation - Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. Despite this, the little church was unable to escape almost complete destruction by Wolfe's artillery during the siege of 1759, but was quickly restored under the new regime.

For two years before the opening of St. Patrick's Church in the upper town in 1831, Notre-Dame was home to hundreds of refugees from overseas and was popularly known as the Irish church.

Restorations over the years by a series of noted Quebec artisans has made the little jewel of Place Royale, since 1929 a designated provincial historic monument, a compelling attraction for visitors to Quebec.

Sainte-Genevieve's chapel, added by architect Jean Maillou in 1723, is visited year-round by the faithful. In addition to an ornate, gilt altar and statue of the Parisian saint, paintings of Genevieve hang on the south wall. In her statue, she is shown with some of the traditional symbols associated with the "protector from famine."

Genevieve was a well-to-do Parisian who, in the fifth century is said to have saved many of the besieged population of the City of Light by providing the financial means to run a blockade of the city to get bread to the starving inhabitants.

After her death, her assistance was often invoked for her intercession with God to aid the people of her city when danger appeared. Made by parishioners, her tiny little breads are blessed and distributed to those attending Mass on Jan. 3 in Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church.

Mass is celebrated twice on Sundays at this church, which today is part of a shared parish with the Quebec cathedral and upriver Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. The little church is open daily, as is an impressive book and religious gift shop adjacent to the shrine of holy Sainte-Genevieve.

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