Saint-Séverin is a fertile ground for wayside crosses, since there are nine of them on its territory. Originally, these monuments were built along the roads when they opened for colonization.
Parishioners from a same area gathered at night at the base of these crosses, especially during the Month of Mary, to pray for graces. They did it for various purposes: land fertility, world peace, family health, spruce budworm control (a disease that made evergreen trees dry), etc.
While wayside crosses were built to show piety, these monuments could also be built to fulfill a promise. That was the case for two Saint-Séverin inhabitants who put their words into action after recovering from a serious accident. In the neighbor parish of Saint-Elzéar, parishioners had even committed to build a cross if the government opened a road worthy of the name.
Wayside crosses installation was not a single-person matter. Since they served several inhabitants, their cost was usually broken down between people from the neighborhood.
Free
Source: Lynda Cloutier (2005)