The Present Chapel of the Mother House
By Marie-Josée Morin and Élise Thierry
Photos: Samantha Etane
Detail of the stations of the Way of the Cross designed and created in mosaic by Sister Cécile Marois, CND.
During the construction of the École normale building in 1912-13, a large chapel was built on the first floor of the west wing under the patronage of Our Lady of Schools. This chapel was used until the conversion of this section of the building to house the offices of the Generalate in the mid 1970s. The present chapel is on the second floor along Sherbrooke Street.
The chapel contains numerous works of art. The stained glass windows were created in 1958 by master glass-maker Vincent Poggi for the original chapel. Their theme is inspired by the fifteen mysteries of the life of Jesus, also known as the mysteries of the Rosary.
Stained glass windows created by Vincent Poggi. Their theme is inspired by the mysteries of the Rosary.
It also has two statues sculpted of white marble: one of Our Lady of Schools created by artists Balducci and Giaccomini in 1915 and one of Marguerite Bourgeoys carved by Vecoli in 1959.
Alter and works of art. The statue on the left represents Our Lady of Schools and the one on the right is Marguerite Bourgeoys.
Sister Cécile Marois’s Works
Some of the artwork was created by Sister Cécile Marois (Saint-Gilbert-Marie), CND. Sister Marois created the fourteen traditional stations of the Way of the Cross entirely in mosaic. In 1965 she made the ceramic panels that adorn the altar and the lectern. In 1973 the stand on which the tabernacle rests and the supports of the altar were crafted. These decorative elements create unity in both the medium, ceramic, and the theme, Christ’s Redemption. Sr. Marois was born on February 17, 1914, in Saint-Thomas de Montmagny. She made profession on January 25, 1935 and taught at different schools. In 1949, she successfully obtained the diploma from École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal and in 1959 she completed her Master’s Degree in Fine Arts at Columbia University, in New York City.
On the walls we see the traditional stations of the Way of the Cross.
Tradition and simplicity
The current chapel of the mother house successfully combines tradition, through the iconography of its colourful stained glass, and modernity, through the lines of the statues and the simplicity of the decor.
A quiet place for contemplation in complete simplicity.