Montrealers keen to get a rare glimpse into the crypt where Jeanne Mance is buried

​In honour of the 360th anniversary of the Religieuses Hospitalières de Saint-Joseph, a historic religious order of nuns, Montrealers can now take a tour of the crypt where Jeanne Mance is buried.

Jeanne Mance, with Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, is considered to have founded Montreal.

Along with the Religieuses Hospitalières de Saint-Joseph, Mance is also credited with founding the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in 1659.

"She gave her whole life to the island of Montreal," said Sister Rose-Marie Dufault, a current member of the Hospitalières.

The Musée des Hospitalières de l'Hôtel-Dieu is taking visitors into the crypt beneath its chapel in the hospital building on des Pins Avenue, where all the nuns from the Montreal order are buried.

Dufault told CBC's Daybreak that the coffins of the nuns buried in the crypt aren't visible because they are hidden behind a brick wall. 

It's still a space that carries a lot of meaning, she said, not to mention history.

"It's a very impressive area because we know it is sacred," said Dufault. "It's a nice play to pray, to meditate, reflect."

She said the crypt was established in January of 1861, after the hospital moved from its old location by Notre-Dame Basilica to the foot of the mountain.

Even though the crypt has run out of space for more coffins, Dufault said sisters in the order can still make the crypt their final resting place by opting to be cremated.

Their ashes are then kept in the crypt, along with the remains of hundreds of other women.

The crypt tours have proven quite popular, with all the dates for May already sold out. The museum lists additional dates to be added for fall 2019.

The price of admission, which is $10 for adults, includes a visit to the current exhibition on the life of Jeanne Mance.