The Churches of Montreal, Canada: A Travel Guide

One of the first things any visitor to Montreal notices is the literal plethora of its grand churches, cathedrals and basilicas. In the French language, Montreal has a nick-name, la ville aux cent clochers, which translates as "the city of a hundred bell-towers." American author and raconteur, Mark Twain once remarked of Montreal, "This is the first time I was ever in a city where you couldn't throw a brick without breaking a church window."

Christ Church Cathedral Located amid the skyscrapers of downtown Montreal, this 1857 Gothic styled church provides a nice change of pace to the modern glass and steel streetscape in which it has found itself nestled. Historically, the church has had to overcome many obstacles. The most significant problem involved movement of the church's giant stone tower. Apparently, it was too heavy for its foundation, so as a result, over time, the tower began to sink and eventually lean to the side. The steeple needed to be removed, and new foundations poured. A new steeple was built, but this time made of light weight aluminum. It is made to resemble the former stone steeple, and from the street, the difference is not apparent. Also of note about Christ Church is their decision to allow a thirty-four story office tower to be constructed on its grounds directly behind the church. Also, beneath the church, as part of Montreal's underground world, there is a large shopping and dining arcade. It is said that the church takes in $400,000 in annual rent, which goes towards the upkeep of their historic cathedral.

St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal A basilica of the Roman Catholic church, St. Joseph's Oratory's dome was modeled after the dome at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and is considered to be the second largest in the world, after St. Peter's. Located near the top of the great expanse Mount Royal, its dome is the highest point in the city of Montreal. (As a result, aviation lights have had to be placed on the exterior of the dome.) St. Joseph's is considered a church of miracles, that is, a healing church. More than two million people visit the church every year, many of them pilgrims in search of a healing miracle. There is a public display inside the basilica which is comprised of thousands of crutches which were brought into St. Joseph's by the sick, but left behind because they were no longer needed. Pope John II officially recognized the healing power of St. Joseph's in 1982.

St. Patrick's Basilica In the early 1800s, when the largely Catholic Irish first began to arrive in Montreal in significant numbers, they encountered a large Catholic community, but that community didn't speak English, they spoke French. An English speaking church was gathered in 1817, but it wasn't until 1847 that the Irish were able to celebrate a mass in a church building built by them and for them. St. Patrick's has since been considered the "mother church" of Montreal's Irish community. Architecturally, the church is an imposing gothic structure, reputedly one of the largest in Canada. Inside, the most interesting element is the artwork imbedded into the wainscoting. It features traditional images usually associated with European religion countered by images of life on the Canadian frontier. It makes for an interesting juxtaposition.

Notre Dame Basilica Designed by James O'Donnell of New York, Notre Dame is built in the Gothic Revival style that was popular in the 19^th century, and it was at one time, the largest church in North America. The true beauty of the church however lies inside. Designer Victor Bourgeau created what is possibly the most beautiful church in North America. The color scheme is interestingly dominated by sky-blue and sky-gold, and it is accented with a lot of timber expertly crafted by local artisans. The artwork attempts to tell both the story of the Bible along side the story of Montreal, with images of the saints right along sides images from the Canadian frontier. Interestingly, the architect, James O'Donnell, who was a Protestant, converted to Catholicism on his deathbed. He did this so he could buried in the church's crypt. He is the only person buried there. There is a modest admission charge of $4.

The Cathedral Basilica of Mary, Queen of the World The seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Montreal, Mary's was consecrated in 1894 after more than forty years of controversy and acrimony. When the previous Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1852, the diocese desired to break with the fashion of the day and steer clear of the Gothic Revival movement that dominated the 19^th century. Instead of going for something original, however, the diocese wanted to construct a scale model of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. The architect, Victor Bourgeau, who worked on the interior of Notre Dame in Montreal, and who was hired to do Mary's, resigned in disgust. The site upon which the new Cathedral was to be built also caused scandal, because Mary's was to be built in an English language speaking neighborhood and not a French one. Architecturally, Mary's is indeed a quarter scale version of St. Peter's. Inside, however, it lacks any of the warmth of St. Peter's. It is elegant, yet a bit cavernous. It's monochrome butter color scheme make the visitor a bit uneasy. Look closely at the statues along the roofline, and you'll notice that they are not the apostles; instead they are the patron saints of catholic churches in Montreal.