The fate of our churches is in the news these days. However, they have been suffering for many years. Specialists in church architecture provide their comments and suggestions. The future of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church, in the district of the same name, in Quebec, particularly concerns me, while the parish factory is on the verge of giving it to an Orthodox Christian religious organization, which wants use it and seek to preserve it, possibly. The ministry will have to give its approval for the transmission to take place. Nothing is very clear at the moment about what will really happen to this jewel of religious architecture, the work of Ferdinand Peachy. The building requires significant restoration and preservation work.
The sumptuous interior has all of its original decor, Italian marble, sculptures by Jobin, gilding and faux finishes, stained glass windows, and even its Déry-Casavant organ. This would be the ideal place to develop a church building interpretation center in Quebec. We could talk about the different trades linked to the construction and decoration of these places – carpentry, stone, cabinetmaking, stained glass, gilding -, present the types of churches with supporting plans, show goldwork , paintings, statuary, showing the insides of the organ, etc. Religious tourism is growing and looking for meaningful places to visit. Have we even considered a tourist vocation for this monument located in the heart of a very lively district, which could become a witness to the religious architectural tradition here?
Can a new opening to worship highlight the richness of this unique building?
To watch on video