Several religious orders of missionnaries, secular priests and nuns have provided educational, sacerdotal and health care services to the population from the earliest times in New France up to the present day.

Although the Recollets were the first religious order to be established in Québec, only a few artefacts bear witness to their presence here. However, other religious orders are still quite active, such as the Ursulines and the Augustines.

The Ursuline Convent, founded in 1639 by Marie de l'Incarnation and Madame de la Peltrie, is still home to the oldest girls' school in North America. The Musée des Ursulines (museum) has one of the wold's richest collections of ethnography and art from the French Regime.

The Augustine Nursing Sisters still work at the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, hospital, built in 1644. The musée des Augustines (museum) has accumulated countless historical treasures for more than three and a half centuries. Don't forget to visit the convent (1695, 1756, 1930) and the old cloister. The Augustines also have an enclave in Lower Town called Notre-Dame-des-Anges, from which they operate the Hôpital général de Québec (hospital). After the battle in 1759, many French, Amerindian and English soldiers were treated at this hospital.

   A remarkable "Memorial to the Seven Year War" that includes the superb sculpture "Traversée sans retour"
   (crossing over with no turning back) and the «Montcalm Mausoleum» was recently inaugurated in honour of
   the 1058 soldiers buried here.

   The Musée Bon-Pasteur (museum) tells the story of Marie Fitzbach, founder of the order of nuns the Soeurs
   du Bon-Pasteur de Québec, and the religious and apostolic history of Québec.

   For nearly 300 years, priests received religious instruction at the Séminaire de Québec, which was created by
   Mgr de Laval in 1663, though it eventually served as a school. The collection of old and new seminary buildings
   form a particularly impressive historical site in the heart of Old Québec.

   The richly decorated Notre-Dame-de-Québec Basilica-Cathedral located nearby contains an impressive number    of works of art. A must-see: the sound and light show «Acts of Faith», a spectacular multimedia presentation
   whose backdrop is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the Americas.

   The Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica in the Côte-de-Beaupré region is the site of a large annual pilgrimage on
   Saint Anne's Day (July 26). The architecture of the current granite-covered basilica is inspired from medieval
   designs. Natural lighting is provided by 240 stained-glass windows. Inside, an impressive rosace and numerous
   works of art serve as decorative elements.

   Other sites of note include : Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church (Place-Royale), Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church
   (Saint-Jean-Baptiste district), Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral and Chalmers-Wesley United Church (Old
   Québec),Saint-Roch Church (Saint-Roch district), Saint-Dominique Church (Montcalm district), Saint-Michel
   Church(Sillery), Saint-Charles-Borromée Church (Trait-Carré - Charlesbourg), the churches located on the Île
   d'Orléansand along the Chemin du Roy(King's Road) in Portneuf.

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