Séminaire de Québec facts for kids
The Seminary of Quebec (French: Séminaire de Québec) is a special community of Catholic priests in Quebec City. It was started in 1663 by Bishop François de Laval. He was the first bishop of New France, which was what Canada was called back then. The Seminary's main job was to train priests. It also helped the Church grow across North America.
History of the Seminary
The Séminaire de Québec was founded on March 26, 1663. Bishop François de Laval created it to support the Church's work in North America. In 1665, this community joined with a group from Paris. It was then called the Seminary of Foreign Missions of Quebec.
The first goal of the Séminaire de Québec was to prepare young men to become priests. These new priests would then serve in churches and missions. Some of these missions were as far away as Louisiana. So, the Seminary also started a "Major Seminary." This is where future priests received their special training.
In 1668, a top minister named Jean-Baptiste Colbert wanted to spread French language and culture. Bishop de Laval decided to open the Seminary to Indigenous people. He also welcomed children of settlers who wanted to study and become priests. This was the start of the Petit Séminaire de Québec, also known as the Minor Seminary.
Before 1760, the Minor Seminary was a boarding school for students. They took classes at the Jesuit College. After the English took over in 1760, the Seminary leaders took charge of teaching. The Minor Seminary became a full school, like a college. It was open to all boys who wanted to study.
In 1852, the school's high quality was recognized by Queen Victoria. This led to the creation of Université Laval. It was the first Catholic French-language university in North America. Today, Université Laval and the Minor Seminary are separate from the Quebec Seminary. Université Laval became its own organization in 1970. The Minor Seminary did the same in 1987.
Today, the Séminaire de Québec still trains priests. It also helps people find their calling in the Church. It supports the Catholic center at Université Laval. The Seminary helps train other Church leaders and provides services to local churches.
The vision of François de Laval is why the Séminaire de Québec has been so successful in education. He left a large area of land with lakes and forests to the Seminary. This land is known as the Beaupré Seigneury. It has helped fund the Seminary's work ever since.
The Petit Séminaire Today
Since 1987, the Petit Séminaire de Québec has been a private Roman Catholic secondary school. It is now separate from the main Séminaire de Québec. Many important French-Canadian priests and scholars studied at the Petit Séminaire. This was before higher education became widely available to everyone.
Buildings of the Seminary
The historical site of the Séminaire de Québec is in Old Quebec. It has many buildings, some of which are very old. Some buildings date back to the 1600s, showing the French history. Others were built later, from the 1700s to the 1900s.
The buildings are divided into two main groups. The Vieux-Séminaire (Old Seminary) was built like French colleges from the 1600s. The second group of buildings was added over time. These were built to meet the needs of Laval University, the Grand Séminaire, and the Petit Séminaire.
Two important buildings are the Camille-Roy Building and the Jean-Olivier-Briand Building. The Camille-Roy Building has flags flying with the coat of arms of Bishop François de Laval. The Jean-Olivier-Briand Building is where the priests live and where the Grand Séminaire is located.
The Seminary at 1 Rempart Street in Québec was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1929. This place still trains Roman Catholic priests. Since 1987, a part of the Vieux Séminaire has been used by the university's school of architecture. The Camille-Roy building also has a restored room called the Promotions Room. It can be rented for different events.
See also
- List of Jesuit sites
- Moulin du Petit-Pré, a water-powered flour mill built for the seminary
