Montreal's Transformed Churches: From Sacred to Secular Spaces

Montreal, Jul 29 (AP) On a Friday night, families gathered under the glow of pink and purple neon lights inside a former Catholic church in Montreal, swaying to the rhythm of an African band where an altar once stood. This church, Notre-Dame-du-Perpetuel-Secours, constructed between 1914 and 1920, was reimagined in 2014 as Theatre Paradox. Since its transformation, the venue has hosted diverse events ranging from meditation and Zumba classes to a fetish party hailed as “Montreal’s most kinky, freaky, and sexy Halloween event.”

In Quebec, a province once dominated by Catholicism, many churches have been deconsecrated and repurposed into gyms, restaurants, museums, luxury apartments, auction houses, and university reading rooms. For much of Quebec’s history, the Catholic Church wielded considerable power over education, healthcare, and politics. However, its dominance waned during the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s when the provincial government sought to curtail the Church's influence. Church attendance in the province plummeted, transforming Notre-Dame-du-Perpetuel-Secours into what it is today.

Over the years, thousands filled its pews, but dwindling attendance led an event management company, Groupe Paradoxe, to purchase it in 2010. Gerald St-Georges, its director, believes the church undertakes a sacred mission, even in its secular form. Today, it offers training and employment to young adults, including those with past addiction issues and juvenile records, in theatre and stage management for careers in entertainment.

“When I started the project, I thought, ‘That’s the kind of work the church should do, not only Mass,’” said St-Georges, a practicing Catholic. “I practice my faith daily by helping people.” The pews' wood was repurposed to create a bar where concertgoers enjoy cold beers under stained glass illuminated by neon lights and a silver disco ball.

In Old Montreal, tourists lined up outside the Gothic-style Notre-Dame Basilica to see a show featuring projectors and lasers. Brazilian tourist Mateus Vassalo saw this as an opportunity for believers and non-believers alike to gather. “You see people from different religions, even those who don’t believe in God, coming here, maybe curious, maybe questioning,” he remarked.

Northward in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, church steeples with crosses dot the sky. Saint-Mathias-Apotre Church, a former religious hub, now operates as a restaurant serving affordable meals to up to 600 residents each day. Le Chic Resto Pop's manager, once Catholic but now unaffiliated, still embraces core Catholic values at this nonprofit eatery.

Marc-André Simard shared, “Values of respect and well-being are still important. There’s space for connection, but around food, not faith.”

Marie-Frédérik Gagnon, a restaurant employee, echoed this sentiment. “In Quebec, we can live free from religious impositions, yet accept various beliefs,” she said. “It’s a beautiful place. People feel calm and the open environment helps foster a sense of well-being.”

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