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During Corpus Christi, temporary altars enabled people to receive the Blessed Sacrament during processions or outdoor gatherings. Called altars of repose, they were at the heart of these liturgical celebrations. There were many models, ranging from the simplest to the most sumptuous! Taken in 1945, this photograph shows the altar prepared by the Lépine Company, then known in town for its funeral services!
1905 - 1945

Corpus Christi, a time-honoured tradition

Corpus Christi is a Catholic religious holiday celebrated 60 days after Easter. It was a very popular feast day in Québec City in the first half of the 20th century, up until 1960s and the secularization of society during the Quiet Revolution. Also known as the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Day, it commemorates the presence of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist. On this holy day, local residents decorated their homes and joined in a procession that stopped before altars of repose along the way. Do you have any special memories of Corpus Christi?

Altars of repose for Corpus Christi

Auteur inconnu During Corpus Christi, temporary altars enabled people to receive the Blessed Sacrament during processions or outdoor gatherings. Called altars of repose, they were at the heart of these liturgical celebrations. There were many models, ranging from the simplest to the most sumptuous! Taken in 1945, this photograph shows the altar prepared by the Lépine Company, then known in town for its funeral services!
Chronoscope Can you tell us how the event would have taken place? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Ville de Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Société historique de Québec Collection - Date: 1945-06-03