Think back to 1905. A farm stood where Paroisse Notre-Dame-des-Victoires now stands. Joseph Dickson owned it. The St-Laurent company bought the farm to build homes.
Welcome to Paroisse Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. It stands east of Montreal. It is a place of faith and history. The streets Dickson, Monsabré and Lacordaire soon appeared. The farm’s barn transformed into a chapel. About 300 faithful formed a Christian community. The chapel also served as a school.
The faithful requested a parish. The Archbishop agreed. On November 24, 1907, the chapel became a parish. Its canonical erection occurred on December 16. Joseph Thibodeau became the first priest on December 7, 1907. He served until 1930. The park across from the church bears his name.
Under Father Thibodeau’s leadership, the parish grew. In 1908, a farm near the parish was purchased. They built a school there. It was named Académie Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. In 1910, the Collège du Sacré-Cœur was built for boys. The brothers of the Sacré-Cœur ran it. From 1911 to 1981, this school was known as François-Laflèche.
The Sisters of Ste-Anne arrived on August 22. They provided many services. These services included education and pastoral care. They also helped with various movements. After their school closed in 1925 they moved into the presbytery. They continued their work there until 1989. The Sisters of St-François d’Assise replaced them in the 1990s.
A fire destroyed the original Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church in 1912. The current presbytery, a girls’ school and a fire station were built in 1914. The present church of Paroisse Notre-Dame-des-Victoires was built in 1925 at a cost of $166,700. It was inaugurated on April 28. Mgr Deschamps blessed it on October 16.
Many priests have served since Father Thibodeau. The parish population grew especially in the 1950s. Houses and streets like Bossuet and Cadillac were built quickly. To ease the burden on Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, new parishes were created. These included Notre-Dame-du Foyer in 1999. St-Donat in 1955 and Marie-Reine-des-Cœurs in 1958 also formed.
Father Yves Robert was the last priest of the parish. He said his farewell mass on August 26. Father Alain Mongeau was officially appointed priest.
Paroisse Notre-Dame-des-Victoires also includes the Lux-Gouverneur residence for seniors. Pastoral activities take place there. Mass is celebrated at the residence every Wednesday and Sunday. At the church itself, daily mass is held Tuesday through Friday at 4 p.m. Sunday masses are at 11 a.m.
The parish celebrated its centennial in 2007. The Pont organization is located in the presbytery. It is a charity of the Montreal diocese. It welcomes refugees.
Architects Dalbé Viau and Alphonse Venne designed the church. B. Légaré and Sons were the contractors.
Joseph Thibaudeau the founding priest. He was a vicar at Ste-Cunégonde. He was priest of Notre Dame des Victoires from 1907 to 1930. Later he was priest of St-Enfant Jésus de Mile End from 1930 to 1935. He retired to the Collège de l’Assomption and died on September 30, 1936.
Today Paroisse Notre-Dame-des-Victoires continues to serve its community. It maintains its traditions of faith and service.