The Centre Catherine-de-Saint-Augustin is a spiritual place dedicated to promoting and making better known the spiritual heritage of this Augustinian nun who became a co-founder of the Canadian Church. It is located inside the Monastère des Augustines (Augustinian Monastery).
Touring it, the visitor will be guided on the path taken by Blessed Catherine de Saint-Augustin, allowing for the discovery of several aspects of this heroic Hospitaler nun who, quite young, gave all of her life for the wellbeing of all those around her, physically, emotionally as well as spiritually.
The visitor is therefore invited to explore the vicinity of the historical chapel and inside where can be found the reliquary containing all the bones of the blessed.
Managed by the Augustines de la Miséricorde de Jésus, helped by a small number of lay people, the Centre respectfully welcomes visitors from everywhere, with their diverse beliefs and cultures, who wish to be inspired by the life of one the Natives called lakonikonriiostha, meaning “One who makes the inside more beautiful”.
While visiting the Centre Catherine-de-Saint-Augustin, you can also admire numerous artifacts, well preserved, from the past gathered from the 17th to 20th centuries.
The church itself was built from 1800 to 1803, but includes many older elements such as the statue dedicated to Mary Mother of all Graces, the sanctuary lamp, made in the 17th century, a large crucifix brought from France in 1734, beautiful paintings from the 18th century, and the splendid reliquary containing the relics of Blessed Marie-Catherine designed by Noel Levasseur, as well as the reliquary fashioned like a bust containing part of the skull of Saint Jean de Brébeuf (1664). The interior decoration and the exterior façade are the works of the architect and sculptor Thomas Baillargé (1791-1859).
