Do you know your saints? | In Sainte-Perpétue, everything is perpetuated …

In the city of cyclist Hugo Houle, we no longer run after the greased pigs. But we remain faithful to agricultural tradition.

In life, there are sure values. Things that reassure us because they don’t change too much.

Sainte-Perpétue enters this category.

One hundred and fifty-nine years after its foundation, this municipality located not far from Drummondville remains faithful to its rural history. “Here, 95 % of the territory is agricultural and it will be the same in 20 years,” says confidently the director general of the city and former mayor, Guy Dupuis.

For Mr. Dupuis, it is clear that agriculture “is in the DNA” of Sainte-Perpétue. It is so true, he says, that children take up the lands of their parents, despite the vagaries and the difficulties of the life of a cultivator.

“It takes a lot of working hours. Not easy years ago. Harvests are not 100 %insured, adds Mr. Dupuis. But there is the pride of the earth. The pride of feeding your herd, but also Quebecers. »»

From father to daughter

Continuity, too, for other local companies, which shine by their longevity. We are thinking of Auto PH, founded in 1967, but especially of the LD Roy general store, which has existed since … 1898.

A true institution, LD Roy has been held by the same family for six generations. The trade, located at the crossroads of the village, is a poem in itself. Michèle, La Caissière, has been working there for 40 years. We sell house dishes prepared on site by four stoves. At the bottom of the store, the small supermarket turns into hardware, with tools, workers’ clothes and molded bags for livestock.

Trade today belongs to Marie-Dominique Roy. She took her back from her father, Pierre, who had taken him back from his father, Louis, and his grand-uncle Denis, who lives right opposite and whom he met on the spot.

Despite his 80th birthday, the latter still seems very fit. We present it as “the memory of Sainte-Perpétue”, a title perfectly adequate for this character, who was a grocer, miller, leader of the volunteer firefighters, embaulter and director of funeral pumps, before retiring. Convinced that “it takes sugar to make a sugar pie” (it takes what it takes to do a good job), Denis even offered us a guided tour of the village, before putting proudly with his little niece in front of the grocery store.

“The atmosphere has not changed,” confirms Marie-Dominique. We are a bit like the porch of the church. Information is here it happens. His business is certainly affiliated with a known channel, but for its owner, the most important is to keep the family spirit and a personalized touch. “That’s why people come. »»

Bicycle and pigs

Beautiful, Sainte-Perpétue? Not quite, anyway.

First, the population is renewed. Some houses are for sale, others are in the construction phase to accommodate new residents. The slaughterhouse, the teeter and the fishmonger have closed their doors over time, but there is now a country restaurant and a marketing agency.

In recent years, the municipality has also had its hero, in the person of Hugo Houle. The cyclist, who signed a memorable mountain victory at the Tour de France 2022, inspired the creation of a “Halte-Vélo”, which acts as a pilgrimage place for passing hikers.

As for the famous pig festival, small changes there too.

Since associations for the defense of animals have put themselves in the game, the national racing of the greased pig no longer exists – basically, it was necessary to catch the pig in the mud, and the beast kicked, hence the protests. A blow for this event founded in 1978. “It was the main attraction, deplores Guy Dupuis. It is as if we removed the Rodeo from the Saint-Tite festival. »»

An LGBTQ+ rereading

We feel that the file is sensitive. Let us change the subject to talk about our saint, sacrificed in Carthage (Tunis) in 203, during the reign of the Roman emperor Septime Sevère.

To begin with, it must be remembered that perpetuates is inseparable from Félicité, her servant. The two women had babies and died together in the arena. The story tells that after months behind bars, they were thrown into the animals with three of their companions. Prisoners of a net, they will be closed by a wild cow. At the request of the spectators, soldiers will shorten their sufferings by cutting their throat.

Two more martyrs? Not quite. The two young mothers were quickly the subject of a special cult, and they are still mentioned today during the number one Eucharistic prayer (there are four).

According to Sébastien Doane, a professor of biblical studies at Laval University, Sainte-Perpétue has, among other things, went to history because of his prison journal, a particularly embodied testimony, whose authenticity seems to have been validated.

“It is a text that is very touching, with lively images,” sums up the expert. She tells how she absolutely wants to have her child to be able to breastfeed him … It is one of the rare texts of antiquity of the Roman period which is attributed to a woman. So it is also something very important. Because it is a literature that is concerned from the woman’s point of view. »»

In recent years, the history of perpetuating and congratulation has also been subject to a LGBTQ+rereading. Iconography often shows the two entwined women, when being sacrificed. However, this image was taken up for the cover of the book Queer Bible Commentarya “gendered” analysis of the Bible, published in 2015.

According to Mr. Doane, this interpretation is nonetheless legitimate, in the simple fact that “Christians queer recognize themselves there ”.

Finally, let us add that our two Saintes were Carthaginian and black or dark skin, which makes them even more remarkable. “These are African martyrs. It is in itself interesting, ”underlines Robin Jensen, professor of theology at Notre-Dame University, in Indiana.

According to what we know, the relics of Sainte perpetuit were transferred to Rome in 439. They have moved a few times and are today in the Notre-Dame church, in Vierzon, France. Because she was pierced by a cow, she would be considered the protector of cattle herds.

Note: there is another Sainte-Perpétue in the County of Islet. It is not invented: the neighboring village is called Sainte-Félicité.

Next week: Saint-Wenceslas.