Pass through
the only Holy Door in the Americas
on the occasion of the Jubilee of Mercy
Individual visits
The Holy Door is open to any person of good will. The spiritual experience of passing through it can be lived individually or in small groups. You only have to come to the Basilica Cathedral Notre-Dame de Québec and pass it from the outside to the inside. You can also start your reflection by walking the Pilgrims Garden path.
Opening hours (until May 21)
- From June 19 to September 5: 8:45 AM to 8:15 PM
- From September 6 to November 13: Monday to Friday: 8:45 AM to 3:45 PM; Saturday and Sunday: 8:45 AM to 4:45 PM
Get directions to get to the Cathedral
Pilgrimages
Enjoy a pilgrimage at Notre-Dame de Québec to live a spiritual experience in a magnificent Cathedral located in the heart of Old Québec.
Learn more about the pilgrimage
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Passing through the Holy Door
During our lives, every door represents a passage. They are transitions from one place to another, a change of environment. Sometimes, when we move from past to future, they represent a rupture.
The Holy Door is a real door, pierced in the wall of the Chapel of the Sacred Heart on the north side of the Cathedral. The Holy See granted Notre-Dame de Québec an extraordinary privilege when authorizing its construction.
Msgr Denis Bélanger, Rector of the Cathedral
So Europe. So close.
Designated a World Heritage treasure by UNESCO, Old Québec is the only walled city north of Mexico. As the cradle of French civilization in North America, it’s a living history lesson with a remarkable mix of architecture, heritage, art, and culture. Québec City is a UNESCO World Heritage Treasure where the charms of Europe surround you.
To learn more about Québec City and its attractions, visit the Québec City Tourism Office website.
The Jubilee of Mercy
What is a Holy Year?
Jubilees are years of remission, indulgence, and also of reconciliation, conversion and sacramental penance. During Jubilees, Holy Doors symbolize paths leading to conversion and blessings. It is also a year of solidarity, hope, justice and of engagement towards the service of God and of our human brothers and sisters.
An Extraordinary Holy Year
The tradition of proclaiming Extraordinary Holy Years dates back to the XVIth century. In the XXth century, year 1933, 1963 and 1983 celabrated our Redemption by Jesus Christ, who died at 33. There was a Marian Year in 1987-1988. The theme of the Extraordinary Holy Year 2016 is Mercy.
The word Mercy means "love that gives itself to misery" (in latin, de miseri cor dare). In the spirit of the Feast of Divine Mercy (second Sunday after Easter) instituted by Saint John Paul II, Pope Francis gave a important place to mercy, a word that appears in his motto.
To learn more, visit the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops website (this page is in French only) and the Vatican website dedicated to this topic.
