Precious place: Parish marks half-century of worship in unique building

For half a century, the spirall­ing roofline of a Winnipeg church has stood out against the domes and spires of other religious institutions.

But that unusual circular design of Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church nearly didn’t happen, renowned Winnipeg architect Étienne Gaboury said in a recent conversation.

Originally, parish priest Rev. Aurèle Lemoine asked Gaboury to design a church for 600 people on top of an existing rectangular basement adjacent to the current site at Kenny Street and Enfield Crescent in Norwood.

The French-speaking congregation, part of the archdiocese of Saint-Boniface, worshipped in the basement sanctuary for many years.

But the priest disliked the first plan because of the many stairs to the front door, says the architect, who also designed Winnipeg landmarks such as the Royal Canadian Mint, the Esplanade Riel as well as Canada’s embassy in Mexico City.

“They rejected that scheme and we did four others before we arrived at this one,” says the 88-year-old Gaboury of the design process, which began in 1964.

On Sunday, parishioners of Precious Blood — Précieux-Sang in French — celebrate 50 years of worship in what...