Tradition alive and well even at 4 a.m.: Easter water gathering still attracts crowds

Even if in recent years the popularity of the Catholic Church has been in free fall in Quebec, the tradition of gathering Easter water does not seem to be fading as there were nearly a hundred this morning at wanting their “holy” water.

For centuries, many Christian faithful have gotten up in the middle of the night on Easter Sunday to collect spring water which, according to beliefs, is miraculous.

The little needle was not yet pointing at 4 a.m. this morning when several dozen motorists were lining up in the parking lot of the Sainte-Thérèse de l’Enfant-Jésus sanctuary, in Beauport, impatient to take the road towards the traditional and legendary harvest Easter water.

“We have been organizing the water collection for almost 25 years and it is part of the tradition now. It’s always a nice surprise to see so many people. There are many for whom it is an extremely important tradition that their parents instilled in them,” explains parishioner Donald Blouin.

In total, there were nearly a hundred who traveled in the middle of the night to fill their containers, sometimes up to 20 liters of this water which is meant to be blessed, but only for a few hours, on the night of Sunday Easter according to tradition.

“It’s especially linked to the resurrection and the fact that water is the source of life. This water corresponds to the fact that we still have the taste for life and that we give ourselves new impetus. Then, everyone attributes their own virtues to it according to their own traditions,” specifies Mr. Blouin.

Respect tradition

The collection is also intended to be a great opportunity to bring together young and old alike as well as believers and even non-practitioners.

For Philippe Chiasson and his family, the Church has always held an important place; however, the tradition of gathering has been lost over the years. It was accompanied by his sister that he remembered his youth this morning.

“We went there a few times when we were little, but it was an extremely long time ago. I got my driving license last January so my sister and I said we were going back to continue the tradition of the parish,” explains the 18-year-old young man.

Several other brave people, however, confided to the Journal that they were practically not believers, but that they still got up every Easter Sunday for 20, 30 or even 40 years to harvest this water which is claimed to be miraculous.

Rejuvenate activity

On the Stoneham side, there were also many families lining up, just before sunrise, impatient to be able to harvest this eau-de-vie, sometimes in several containers to ensure that they did not run out of it. during the year.

This was followed by a free lunch at the presbytery barn just before the famous Easter mass which allowed the many faithful to bless the water collected in the early morning.

“It’s a tradition that has existed for many years so I thought that by bringing it back, it would ensure that parents could teach their children the meaning of Easter water. It remains a pleasant activity without being too religious either,” explains the organizer, Gaétane St-Laurent.

“Above all, I want to try to energize it and make the activity a little more family-friendly while also retaining the religious aspect because that is the very essence. I am forced to admit that it works and I am extremely happy about it,” concluded the woman who was once mayor of Stoneham.