The Catholic religion has long been omnipresent in Québec. The religious communities looked after educational, health and social services matters for a very long time. Going to Sunday Mass was a common routine among Québec families. In 1957, nearly 88% of Catholics went to church on Sundays.
In Verdun, in 1911, parish priest Joseph-Arsène Richard had to celebrate 4 to 5 Masses every Sunday to meet the demand of the Verdunite congregation. The Quiet Revolution of the sixties marked the decline of the Catholic religion in Québec. Even though the number of people identifying themselves as Catholic has remained stable, church attendance has been constantly plummeting ever since. In 2000, less than 20% of Catholics went to Mass on Sunday. Young people between the ages of 18 and 34 accounted for less than 5% of church-goers.