Monday, May 1, 2023

Le Monasterie Des Augustines, Quebec City

Le Monasterie Des Augustines in Quebec City has a history stretching back to the 1600s. The Augustine Sisters founded a hospital here to serve the colony, as they had founded hospitals all over France. Part of the early church is still visible inside of the new center.

Walking to the fancy entrance through the snow

View of the monastery wall from the lobby (indoors!)

More of the old walls with new structures

The monastery continues its tradition of hospitality and care for the sick. It has a hotel, a restaurant, a health spa, daily Mass, and a museum cataloguing the history of the order in Quebec.

Our first stop was to see the wing of the church where the sisters pray and attend Mass. It is separated off from the main body of the church where the general public comes to pray.

The sisters' part of the church

A small room has various liturgical items from the monastery on display, including relics of saints.

Bones of the saints

Chalices and other items

More of the same

A monstrance for benediction

The main founder of this monastery is Blessed Catherine of St. Augustine. Born in 1632, she joined the Augustinians at Bayeux, France (where the Tapestry is from), in 1644. A call came for sisters to travel to New France to assist the canonesses opening a hospital in what is now Quebec City. She accepted in 1648, traveling to the New World at the age of sixteen! She worked tirelessly in developing the hospital.

Blessed Catherine of St. Augustine

Sacristy with some original 17th century furniture

The main body of the church is fabulously decorated with a lot of white and gold, making it radiant. It is not very large but is impressive.

Main altar (with the nuns' wing on the right)

Side altar dedicated to Our Lady

Side altar to St. Augustine

The pews for the congregation

Relics of Blessed Catherine and St. Jean de Brebeuf

Madonna and child in the hallways

The museum part of the monastery has an impressive array of displays. This model shows the original layout of the hospital.

The first hospital

The sisters have the happy combination of work and prayer so necessary to an authentic Christian life. This display shows a rosary (for praying) and a mortar and pestle (for working).

Ora et labora!

The sisters came over in groups. Three sisters shared one large trunk that had three locks--one key for each sister. They had to pack everything they needed into it before leaving France.

Trunk

More work and prayer here--a cake mold and a reliquary!

Food for body and soul

Statues

Trunk and keys

For some decisions, the nuns would vote using white and black beads.

Early voting machine

The number of statues is truly amazing.

A lot of statues

We wish it had not been snowing so hard when we visited so we could have seen the gardens. It was restful and joyful to visit the monastery.

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