Religious Heritage Days

Religious sites open their doors to the public for Religious Heritage Days

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

In honour of the eighth Journées du patrimoine religieux québécois (Quebec Religious Heritage Days) organized by the Conseil du patrimoine religieux du Québec, 175 religious sites in the province opened their doors on Sept. 5, 6 and 7.

Among the long list of churches, cemeteries and museums that had been opened for the occasion, the QCT visited Église Saint-Charles de Limoilou on Sept. 7. This church, closed since 2012, was reborn in a way when Machine de Cirque moved in, in

2020. The circus group saw the potential of the church as a prac- tice and performance hall with its two-storey vaulted ceilings, strong pillars and foundations. Wanting to focus on what they do best, circus performances, Machine de Cirque founded the nonprofit Centre Manivelle to manage the church as a multi- purpose space available for rent for shows, concerts and exhibits.

As the public learned on guided tours offered by the Société d’Histoire de Limoilou, this church has had a rocky history. After it was opened in 1897 for surrounding residents who didn’t want to walk to Ég- lise Saint-Roch, it burnt down

in 1899. It was rebuilt in 1901 and handed over to the Frères Capucins in 1902. It burnt again in 1916, and the parishioners had it rebuilt and inaugurated in 1920. There was no major event to report over the next 60 years besides major renovations in 1945 for its 50th anniversary the following year. The parish took over its management in 1982, only to close it 30 years later in 2012 due to rising maintenance and upkeep costs. But this was not the end of Église Saint- Charles de Limoilou.

In 2020, Machine de Cirque was searching for the perfect training space, and this aban- doned church caught their attention, especially with its two- storey-high vaulted ceilings in the centre, facing balconies and strong pillars. Street, circus and acrobatic performers have a long history of performing in the front courtyards of churches, so why not inside?

Centre Manivelle and Machine de Cirque teach their visitors that buildings can always have a second life. Bibliothèque Monique-Corriveau (Église de Saint-Denys), the Pavillon du Centre de recherche de l’Hôtel- Dieu (the original St. Patrick’s Church), and St. Matthew’s Church, now a public library, are among the many examples of this in Quebec City.

For more information, visit journeesdupatrimoinereligieux.ca, centremanivelle.ca and machinedecirque.com.