As I toured Notre-Dame amidst a band of other tourists, I was aware of another group — local citizens who were praying in the pews. When a few minutes later a Mass began, I stayed to witness the celebration. While the Mass progressed, followed by the recitation of the rosary, tourists continued to file in and out of Notre-Dame.

I was encouraged that despite all the tourist activity around them, living Catholics still came and actively participated in their faith.  

These resilient Catholics follow in the footsteps of François de Laval, the first bishop of Quebec (and also in North America), whose primary mission was to sustain the Catholic faith among the people of Quebec. His influence remains heavy in the city.

During a two-hour bus tour, the efforts of Catholics to keep their faith alive was apparent. In addition to pointing out major secular attractions and institutions, our tour guide also mentioned key religious establishments, such as the Ursuline Convent, the Seminary of Quebec and the Collège Francois-De-Laval.

Originally, the Ursuline Convent sought to provide an education for young French and aboriginal girls in the 1600s, but now the convent operates a school for girls and a co-educational campus in Quebec. Founded by Laval, the Seminary of Quebec provides training to the diocesan priesthood while the Collège Francois-De-Laval, formerly known as the Petit Séminaire (Minor Seminary), originally an all-boys school, is now a co-educational institution.

Some 350 years after the establishment of Catholic institutions in Quebec City, these portals for Catholics to engage in their faith are still thriving today.

My experience in Quebec City was definitely intriguing, and certainly one that I will not forget. Although I was in a prime tourist location full of secular attractions and influence, I was still able to witness the riches of my faith.

(Gagliano, 20, is a life sciences student at the University of Toronto.)