Description of Historic Place

The Gothic Revival style Sacré-Cœur Chapel was built in 1879 and opened for worship in 1880. It is located within in the former Convent of the Immaculate Conception, which is itself recognized as a provincial historic site.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Sacré-Cœur Chapel of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception as a local historic place resides in the work of Acadian ornamentalist Léon Léger (1848-1918), a notable figure in church decoration in Acadia. The Sacré-Cœur Chapel, his very first work, is considered to be his principal masterpiece. As the most well-known precursor of the Gothic Revival style in the ornamentation of Acadian churches, Léger gained the confidence of the clergy and became a church decorator and altar builder. Many churches in southern New Brunswick benefited from his talents, as did the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver.

The heritage value of the Sacré-Cœur Chapel also lies in the overall architecture and the decoration by Léon Léger. The chapel is significant since it is a concrete example of the presence of the Gothic Revival style in Acadian parishes. It is considered one of the few remaining works of Léon Léger, as all of the others have disappeared with the exception of the altars in Melrose, Haute-Aboujagane, and Église Sainte-Anne-de-Kent.

Source: Kent Museum, 150 chemin du Couvent, Bouctouche, N.B.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Sacré-Cœur Chapel include:
- Gothic Revival chapel as a whole;
- high central nave and two lateral naves separated by arcades;
- vaulted ceiling in hues of green, red, and Marian blue;
- ribbed vaults decorated with open vine leaf tracery;
- hand-sculpted leaves, flowers, florets, and a dove;
- standard and stained-glass windows;
- floor of diamond-shaped marquetry;
- columns decorated with leaves;
- rear gallery;
- high altar and lateral altars;
- original communion table;
- Stations of the Cross.