Born in
1904, studies architecture from 1924 until 1930 at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in
Beauport (Canada). He has contacts with architects all over the world: The
British Giles Gilbert Scott, the American Ralph Adams Cram and Dom Bellot.
Dufresne invites Bellot to Canada to give several lectures about religious
architecture. Dom Bellot travels to Canada for these lectures in 1934. The
frendship between these two men continues in a frequent writing to eachother.
Dufresne builds his first church, learning from these letters, and this church,
the St. Thérèse de-l'Enfant Jésus at Beauport, looks very similar to
Bellot-churches...
During
Bellots stay in Canada, at first in 1937 and later from 1939 until his death in
1944 Dufresne tries to learn as much as possible from Bellot. His works show
clearly the influence of the French Monk-architect.
Dufresne
died in 1982.
We know
these churches are made by Dufresne:
Sainte Thérèse
de-l'Enfant Jésus in Beauport (1936)
Notre Dame de la
Paix, Quebec
Saint Fidele,
Quebec
Basilica Notre
Dame-du-Cap te Cap-de-la-Madeleine
These
photo's are made by D. Stiebeling and taken from the homepage of the basilica
Notre Dame-du- Cap.