Église Saint-Coeur-de-Marie

Église Saint-Coeur-de-Marie is a church building in La Cité-Limoilou featuring a bell tower with Byzantine architectural influences completed in the early 1920s. Its facades display large windowed arcades that create a distinctive rhythm across the exterior walls at 530 Grande Allée Est.

Construction occurred between 1919 and 1921 based on designs adapted from a church in Rennes, France, by architect Ludger Robitaille. This project demonstrates how European architectural traditions shaped early religious buildings in Quebec during the 20th century.

The building served as a gathering place for affluent French-speaking residents who lived along the Grande Allée during its active years. It reflects the social and spiritual life of an upscale neighborhood that revolved around this religious center.

The structure remains visible from surrounding streets and is an unmistakable landmark in the neighborhood. You can appreciate its architecture from the exterior, though interior access is limited since the building no longer operates as an active place of worship.

The vaults inside the nave rest on massive pillars constructed using an ancient European technique of three layers of chevron-patterned bricks bonded with mortar. This traditional building method brought Old World craftsmanship to bear on the structural challenges of early 20th-century Quebec construction.