This postcard shows a Corpus Christi procession in 1907. In the picture, religious officers parade through the parish of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, which is located in a working-class neighbourhood on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. The street is lined with workers’ houses that were typical of the area at the time.

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?

Corpus Christi procession in Québec City

Valentine & Sons Publishing Co., Ltd. This postcard shows a Corpus Christi procession in 1907. In the picture, religious officers parade through the parish of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, which is located in a working-class neighbourhood on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. The street is lined with workers’ houses that were typical of the area at the time.

Chronoscope Can you locate this place on the map? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1907

Source: Ville de Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Date: 1907

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