Saving Quebec's Churches

"A half-century ago, eight in 10 Quebeckers regularly attended mass. Today, that number is less than one in 10. The number of priests in Quebec has dropped by 1,500 in the past decade, and the average age of priests and nuns in convents and monasteries is over 85.

But many of [Quebec's] churches are falling apart. And with fewer Quebeckers going to church regularly, there is less money in the collection plate to cover the costs of upkeep and repairs. Congregations are merging and once-magnificent structures are being boarded up, listed for sale or demolished. Pipe organs, sculptures and paintings that once adorned churches are being sold to the highest bidder.

Rémi Gagnon, who is responsible for church councils in the Quebec City diocese, said congregations have barely been able to protect their valuable possessions and if nothing is done soon, most of them will be lost.

Over the years, some churches have been converted into condominiums, libraries, office space and even concert halls. In Quebec City, in one remarkable instance, the Saint-Esprit Church has been transformed into a school to train circus performers. In some cases the architectural value of the buildings and some of the assets left by artists, architects and masons were preserved. But in other instances, everything was gutted and none of the history remains."

[Editor's note: This story requires a paid subscription to be read in its entirety.]