Saint-Louis-de-France Church

The construction of the new Terrebonne church is ordained in 1865 by Cardinal Bourget, Bishop of Montreal, but many prominent citizens and the population itself refuse to engage in such project; the result is twelve years of procrastination. Finally, work began in 1877 under the supervision of Father Piché. As mentioned in the previous answer, Madamde Masson had given part of her land, as well as the necessary stones to the priest, who wanted to build the new church. In 1879, it was consecrated by Bishop Fabre.

The Terrebonne parish of Saint-Louis-de-France today counts on the Community of Brothers of Saint-Jean to manage its religious affairs. The church is open on weekdays from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM. You can also attend vespers at 5:00 PM and worship at 5:30 PM, in addition to the different masses.

The church’s architecture makes it one of the heritage sites of Vieux-Terrebonne as it is clearly distinguishable in the landscape. The interior of the church was renovated in 1955. It has lost a bit of its historical charm, although its present appearance is still worth a look, if the church is open when you make this rally. In such a case, remember that the site imposes discretion.

WHAT CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE CHURCH?

CHOICES
1) Parts of the archives of the city.
2) A cemetery containing the bodies of many well-known people from Terrebonne.
3) A secret chapel.
4) The foundations of the first church built on this land.

2) A cemetery containing the bodies of many well-known people from Terrebonne.

Father Piché designed the layout required for the cemetery when the church was built. The following year, he conducted the exhumation and reburial of the important people buried in the old cemetery. From a location near the river at that time, they were moved to the new one, under the church.

It contains the tombs of Seigneur Joseph Masson and Seigneuresse Geneviève-Sophie Raymond-Masson, as well as those of their family members. Also buried here are members of the family of former Mayor Ernest Seraphim Mathieu and many other important figures, including various Terrebonne nobles and several priests like Father Piché.

The cemetery is open to the public. Guided group tours are organized by the Société d'histoire de la région de Terrebonne.

WHY WERE THE CHURCH BELLS REPLACED BY ELECTRONIC ONES?

CHOICES
1) The church wanted to modernize.
2) The bells were cracked.
3) The vibrations caused by the three bells were too loud.
4) With time, the bells didn't ring as loudly.

3) The vibrations caused by the three bells were too loud.

The church bells were installed in 1923. At that time, a price of $5,280 was paid for the three bells.  The bells rang many times since their installation, which damaged the bell tower.  In early 2000 it was noticed that pieces of stone stood out of the tower, which became dangerous for the safety of users. The structure of the tower is made of wood, which lies directly on the building. Over time, several joints broke because of the dryness of the wood.

Vibration caused by the bells, with a total weight of over 5,000 lbs (2273 kg), shook the whole structure, making it dangerously unstable. It was therefore decided to replace the bells by an electronic system, reproducing musical sounds similar to those of the bells.