Saint Amélie Church

Saint Amélie Church

Since its construction in 1939, Sainte-Amélie Church has continued to stand out in the landscape of Quebec architecture. The founder of Baie-Comeau wanted to honor the memory of his late wife by offering her a stained-glass window, which was said to be so large and beautiful that it would be worth traveling from Montreal to see it in Baie-Comeau.

But Colonel Robert R. McCormick’s wish could not be granted due to the progress of construction on the church. This did not matter, as this Protestant industrialist agreed to finance the decoration of the church, which was so dear to Baie-Comeau’s founding priest, Father Louis-Philippe Gagné. He provided the $11,000 needed for Montreal’s Michelangelo, the fresco artist Guido Nincheri, to agree to paint the ceiling of Baie-Comeau’s future cathedral.

From then on, Sainte-Amélie Church was considered the Sistine Chapel of the North Shore. It would perfectly fulfill its role as the first cathedral of the brand new Diocese of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the eyes of the population, it rose to the rank of heritage jewel. But that was without taking into account the decline of religious practice and the closure of three churches in Baie-Comeau. Was Sainte-Amélie Church doomed to disappear? Oh! No! An outcry led to profound changes, leading to the transfer of this temple to a corporation made up of citizens who are now responsible for its maintenance.

Listed as a historic monument, Sainte-Amélie Church is now the one and only church-museum on the Côte-Nord. It has undergone extensive restoration work. At the heart of Baie-Comeau’s cultural and community life, it obtained museum accreditation after a lengthy process with the Quebec Ministry of Culture.

The Corporation of the Church of Sainte-Amélie open to life

• More than 80 years of history
• Important dates
• Guido Nincheri

Directory of Quebec’s cultural heritage

• Saint Amélie Church (Real Estate)
• Frescoes of the Sainte-Amélie church (Furniture)

Author : Raphaël Hovington