Saint Joseph's Oratory
Encyclopedia
Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, , is a Roman Catholic minor basilica
and national shrine
on the west slope of Mount Royal
in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
.
, CSC
, began the construction of St. Joseph, a small chapel on the slopes of Mont Royal near Notre Dame College. Soon the growing number of visitors made it too small. Even though it was enlarged, a larger church was needed and in 1917 one was completed - it is called the Crypt, and has a seating capacity
of 1,000. In 1924, the construction of the basilica of Saint Joseph's Oratory was inaugurated; it was finally completed in 1967.
Father Paul Bellot
, an architect, completed the dome of Saint Joseph's Oratory (1937-39). The Oratory's dome
is the third-largest of its kind in the world after the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro
in the Ivory Coast and Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome
, and the church is the largest in Canada.
Gilbert Moreau, an architect, carried out alterations and improvements to the interior of Saint Joseph's Oratory 1949-51; to the adjacent monastery, and rearranged the sacristy in the basilica (1950-1).
The basilica is dedicated to Saint Joseph
, to whom Brother André credited all his reported miracles. These were mostly related to some kind of healing power, and many pilgrims (handicapped, blind, ill, etc.) poured into his Basilica, including numerous Protestants. On display in the basilica is a wall covered with thousands of crutches from those who came to the basilica and were allegedly healed. Pope John Paul II
deemed the miracles to be authentic and beatified
Brother André in 1982. In October 2010 Pope Benedict XVI
canonized the saint.
A reliquary
in the church museum contains Brother André's heart, which he requested as a protection for the basilica. More than 2 million visitors and pilgrims visit the Oratory every year. It is located at 3800 Queen Mary Road , at Côte-des-Neiges
(near to Côte-des-Neiges metro station
).
Composer Émilien Allard
notably served as the church's carillonneur from 1955-1975. For RCA Victor he released the LP album
Carols at the Carillon of Saint Joseph's Oratory for which he wrote the arrangements.
In 2004, the Oratory was designated a National Historic Site of Canada on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.
game.
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
and national shrine
National shrine
A National Shrine is a Catholic church or other sacred place which has met certain requirements and is given this honor by the nation's Conference of Catholic Bishops to recognize the church's special historical, cultural and religious significance.- Process:...
on the west slope of Mount Royal
Mount Royal
Mount Royal is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the city to which it gave its name.The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachians...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
In 1904, Saint André BessetteAndré Bessette
Saint André Bessette, CSC , born Alfred Bessette and since his canonisation sometimes known as Saint André of Montreal, was a Holy Cross Brother and a significant figure of the Roman Catholic Church among French-Canadians, credited with thousands of reported miraculous healings. He was declared...
, CSC
Congregation of Holy Cross
The Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
, began the construction of St. Joseph, a small chapel on the slopes of Mont Royal near Notre Dame College. Soon the growing number of visitors made it too small. Even though it was enlarged, a larger church was needed and in 1917 one was completed - it is called the Crypt, and has a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 1,000. In 1924, the construction of the basilica of Saint Joseph's Oratory was inaugurated; it was finally completed in 1967.
Father Paul Bellot
Paul Bellot
Paul Louis Denis Bellot was a French monk and modern architect.He became an architect in 1900 having studied at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1902 he became a monk of the Benedictines of Solesmes...
, an architect, completed the dome of Saint Joseph's Oratory (1937-39). The Oratory's dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
is the third-largest of its kind in the world after the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro
Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro
The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro is a Roman Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital of Côte d'Ivoire . The basilica was constructed between 1985 and 1989 at a cost of $300 million...
in the Ivory Coast and Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and the church is the largest in Canada.
Gilbert Moreau, an architect, carried out alterations and improvements to the interior of Saint Joseph's Oratory 1949-51; to the adjacent monastery, and rearranged the sacristy in the basilica (1950-1).
The basilica is dedicated to Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
, to whom Brother André credited all his reported miracles. These were mostly related to some kind of healing power, and many pilgrims (handicapped, blind, ill, etc.) poured into his Basilica, including numerous Protestants. On display in the basilica is a wall covered with thousands of crutches from those who came to the basilica and were allegedly healed. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
deemed the miracles to be authentic and beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Brother André in 1982. In October 2010 Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
canonized the saint.
A reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
in the church museum contains Brother André's heart, which he requested as a protection for the basilica. More than 2 million visitors and pilgrims visit the Oratory every year. It is located at 3800 Queen Mary Road , at Côte-des-Neiges
Côte-des-Neiges
Côte-des-Neiges is a working class neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, situated at the geographic center of the Island of Montreal on the western slope of Mount Royal. The neighbourhood is part of the borough Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce...
(near to Côte-des-Neiges metro station
Côte-des-Neiges (Montreal Metro)
Côte-des-Neiges is a station on the Blue Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the Côte-des-Neiges area of the borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in Montreal, Quebec, Canada .- Overview : It is a normal side...
).
Composer Émilien Allard
Émilien Allard
Émilien Allard was a Canadian carillonneur, pianist, clarinetist, and composer. He composed more than 50 works for carillon and made more than 700 transcriptions of carillon music; many of which are still performed in Europe and North America. In 1958 he won the International Carillonneurs' Prize...
notably served as the church's carillonneur from 1955-1975. For RCA Victor he released the LP album
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
Carols at the Carillon of Saint Joseph's Oratory for which he wrote the arrangements.
Modern developments
On October 19, 2004, the Oratory held its centennial. All the bells of all the churches on the island of Montreal were supposed to ring at 9:00 a.m., though not all churches participated. At 9:05 a.m., the basilica rang its bell in response and celebration.In 2004, the Oratory was designated a National Historic Site of Canada on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.
In popular culture
The 1989 movie Jésus de Montréal uses the Oratory as its principal backdrop. A photograph of the Oratory is used for the picture representing Montreal in the Monopoly: Here and Now: The World EditionMonopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
game.
See also
- List of basilicas in Canada
- Montreal's other basilicas:
- Mary, Queen of the World CathedralMary, Queen of the World CathedralThe Cathedral-Basilica of Mary, Queen of the World in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Montreal. It is the third largest church in Quebec after St. Joseph's Oratory and the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré east of Quebec City...
- Notre-Dame BasilicaNotre-Dame Basilica (Montreal)Notre-Dame Basilica is a basilica in the historic district of Old Montreal, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The church is located at 110 Notre-Dame Street West, at the corner of Saint Sulpice Street...
- Saint Patrick's Basilica
- Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral
- Other buildings named Saint Joseph'sSaint Joseph'sSaint Joseph's may refer to:* Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States**Saint Joseph's Hawks, the athletic teams at Saint Joseph's University* St. Joseph's, Newfoundland and Labrador, a Canadian town-Schools:...
External links
- Oratoire Saint-Joseph
- Photos of Oratory Saint-Joseph
- CBC Digital Archives - The Miracle on Mount Royal: 100 Years of St. Joseph's Oratory
- Maps, photos and info on Saint Joseph's Oratory
- Saint Joseph's Oratory: Photo Gallery by The Catholic Photographer
- http://books.google.ca/books?id=gXdbEFLUsygC&lpg=PA450&dq=Lucien%20Parent%20architect&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=Lucien%20Parent%20architect&f=false/ Les Merveilles de L'Oratoire: L'Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal, 1904-2004 By Denise Robillard
- Saint Joseph's Oratory in Canadian Encyclopedia