Le Musée du Monastère des Augustines — Attraction in Quebec

One of the first overtly religious museums that I just HAD to see. The history of the women and their medical practice was so fascinating to me. You really get to explore every aspect of their lives from eating, to medicine, to sleeping, washing, dress, study, and recreation time. After going through the museum side, my partner and I were walking down a long hall when a woman named Sylvie came out of a side office and said hello to us. She asked if we were here for a tour, we said no and she asked if we would like one. Of course we agreed. She then took us through some older rooms with original furniture laid out exactly where St Marie Catherine would work. We went into the church section and were given St Catherine necklace charms with the mother Mary on the reverse side, we saw Marie Catherine's bones, and were given story book versions of her life. Sylvie also asked if we would like to read a prayer together. I'm very much an atheist so normally i would not have such a transformative experience in a religious setting but i really do think a lot of that is attributed to Sylvie. It was close to the end of her day, and we were actually keeping her a bit past the end of her shift but she was so patient and genuinely wanted to teach us about St Catherine's life. I would highly highly recommend this place to anyone, regardless of religion. Learning about such a specific and unique history of the nuns and the first hospital of Quebec was very very eye opening and truly changed the way I view nuns, especially the Augustine sisters. We didn't have to purchase any tickets which we still are unsure if we accidentally just didn't pay, so afterwards I made a $50 donation to the organization because they truly are doing amazing work in conservation and medical education. I will definitely come back should I ever visit...

Je tiens à partager notre expérience mémorable lors de la visite guidée du monastère des Augustines, et cela est en grande partie dû à notre guide extraordinaire, Antoine. Nous avions initialement anticipé une visite similaire à d'autres, où l'on découvrirait divers objets traversant les époques, mais ce que nous avons vécu était bien au-delà de nos attentes.

Dès le début, Antoine a su captiver notre attention avec son enthousiasme contagieux pour l'histoire. Sa passion pour le passé dépassait même celle des Augustines elles-mêmes, et cela s'est avéré être un véritable atout pour notre expérience. À travers ses récits captivants, il a réussi à donner vie à chaque détail du site historique, transformant notre simple visite en un voyage dans le temps.

Non seulement Antoine maîtrisait parfaitement l'histoire des Augustines, mais il avait également un don pour relier les événements du passé à notre époque actuelle, ce qui rendait la visite encore plus pertinente et significative. Grâce à lui, nous avons pu saisir l'impact durable que les Augustines ont eu sur la société d'aujourd'hui.

En plus de sa connaissance approfondie, Antoine s'est révélé être un guide attentionné et empathique. Il a pris le temps de répondre à toutes nos questions avec patience et clarté, renforçant ainsi notre compréhension de chaque aspect de l'histoire du monastère.

Je dois avouer que, malgré nos attentes élevées, la visite avec Antoine a dépassé toutes les précédentes que nous avions effectuées. Son énergie positive et son engagement envers son travail ont fait de cette expérience une expérience inoubliable pour nous tous.

En conclusion, si vous envisagez de visiter le monastère des Augustines, je vous recommande vivement de chercher à être guidé par Antoine. Sa passion débordante pour l'histoire et son talent pour raconter des histoires en font un guide exceptionnel qui transformera votre visite en une expérience extraordinaire. Merci, Antoine, pour cette visite...

This became my favorite museum on my trip, it was the right topic at the right time. What a thoughtful and thought provoking gem! It is very serene and peaceful. It is well laid out with a wonderful history of the Augustine order and their mission of helping the sick. As I am in health care, the museum provided a very genuine picture of the history of medicine and healing as the mission of this order of nuns. As I was traveling to "recharge my batteries", it particularly struck home with how they reflected and renewed themselves as individuals while providing their services to the sick. As noted, for me, right topic at the right time....