herr2ck: Whose Voice the Water Heard

August 2025.

Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel is one of the oldest churches in Montreal. Locally known as the “Sailors’ Church,” it was a popular pilgrimage site for sailors arriving at the former Port of Montreal immediately east. Indeed, the church’s patron saint of Our Lady of Good Help drew offerings for her “good help” with voyages on the sea.

Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours is located at 400 Rue Saint-Paul East in the Old Montreal neighborhood of Montreal, Quebec. It is bordered by townhouses to the north, Bonsecours Market to the south, Rue Commune and the Old Port of Montreal to the east, and Rue Saint-Paul East to the west.

History

1710 drawing of the original stone church. (Congregation of Notre Dame)

Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours can trace its history to 1670, when a wooden chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built according to the wishes of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, the founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame (a convent). Its construction was also partially financed by the Sulpician order, who were the lords of Montreal at the time and later built Notre-Dame Basilica. The chapel was rebuilt in stone in 1675, though it was leveled by fire in 1754.

1848 view of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours before alterations. (Wikimedia)

The current Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours was constructed between 1771 and 1773 over the ruins of the older church. It was again sponsored by the Sulpicians and the Congregation of Notre Dame. The long gap between the original’s burning and reconstruction was due to economic difficulties at the time. The existing church’s reliquary and statue of Mary are the only surviving parts of the 1675 chapel. Wikipedia claims the architectural style is “Norman Gothic,” but this seems dubious considering the exterior has many classical influences. Montreal’s cultural heritage website more properly attributes its expression as a “traditional model of the French regime.” Nonetheless, the existing facade is a later alteration.

Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours was a pilgrimage stop early in its history, but its best-known pilgrims were sailors. In 1870, the Papal Zouaves visited the church to give thanks for the Virgin Mary’s protection on a voyage back from Italy, as a storm had occurred. This tradition continued for decades afterwards, and the 1849 statue of Mary facing the port is known as “Star of the Sea.” Due to sailors commonly visiting the church, Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours is known as the “Sailors’ Church” even today.

The west facade after alterations. (Wikimedia)

The existing east and west facades of the church date to alterations by architects Maurice Perrault and Albert Mesnard in the late 19th century (after 1884), as the church was being threatened with demolition due to its location. The west facade, which seems to be a Palladian-influenced classical design, was built over the original facade on that side. The east facade was extended with the construction of an aerial chapel. Around the same time, the interior was painted by François-Édouard Meloche in 1886, which features grisaille (a style of grayscale) biblical designs. These paintings were obscured in 1908 by a different artist, but Meloche’s work was uncovered and restored in the 1990s. Other renovation work on the bell towers occurred in the 1950s. Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours was classified as immovable classified heritage in 2014.

Photos

I’ve always liked the relationship of Jesus to the water in the Bible. (I was raised Catholic but consider myself an agnostic ex-Catholic today, though I still appreciate religious architecture.) Stories such as Jesus walking on water and even listening to the Navy Hymn during Skull Sessions at Ohio State were interesting to me, and this church’s tie to the nearby port is unique.

This view from Rue Saint-Paul near Bonsecours Market is probably the best oblique view of the main facade and nave I have:

I had assumed the facade was original, but the bond of stone is much different in the towers, being a more regular ashlar versus the rougher cobbles of the nave. Here’s a better look at what I’m talking about:

Aside from the smoother finish, the various courses and decorative classical features on this smaller tower are more Palladian than the almost vernacular style of the original church. The tower’s steeple appears to be iron or steel, given the rusting.

Looking down Bonsecours Street towards the principal facade:

The symmetry and classical decoration is again indicative of Palladian influence. I’d say the facade is more Renaissance-ish due to its looser organization than the more strict interpretation of Neoclassical architecture. (If this was a Neoclassical church, it would probably have a colonnade and be a more literal reconstruction of a classical temple.) The vaulted entrance, which could possibly be original, is surrounded by a pedimented portal and a similar arched opening above. This central module terminates with the high bell tower, which must date to the 1950s renovation given that neither the original 1773 steeple nor the late 19th-century steeple sit atop the church today. Two smaller towers at either corner serve as foils to the larger central tower.

The main entrance:

A large fanlight spans the transom above the doors, and the arch has gilded writing and a large keystone in the middle. A cornice with an unusually small pediment (which aligns with the void between the corner buttresses, where the entrance itself sits) crowns this section.

The statue and similarly vaulted section above:

Bell tower and oxidized (copper?) steeple:

This window opening is original to the 1773 facade, though the stained glass itself may not be:

Similarly, the rough 18th-century walls and smoother window openings of the nave:

The unusually detailed east facade, which is expressed similarly to the front with a massive statue of the Virgin Mary at center:

Recall that this side faces the port. Mary seems to watch over the sea while reaching out her arms to embrace incoming sailors. She is complemented by two smaller angels.

**In the coming photos, you will notice an orangeish tint. My camera’s light balance at the time was calibrated to a gray card in neon purple lighting for an old photography class project, which I failed to reset afterwards. I only noticed this discrepancy and rectified it months later. My ISO is also rather high, since the interior was dark and I was shooting without a tripod, so the images are a little crispy.

Here is an overall view of the nave:

The interior is pretty simple and has a barrel vault, with ribs that project from the walls via corbels. The round windows have an offset arch above as well. The altar is placed in a smaller apse, which is surrounded by two small chapels on either side.

Aside from the chandeliers, the ceiling is also lined with small boats with candles:

Detail of the grisaille ceiling:

Religious art is typically vibrant and colorful, but this more moody color scheme is rather unique. Indeed, it was very controversial when applied to this church and it was obscured about 20 years later.

Looking back at the organ loft: