Practically every major city has a cathedral or religious building that defines it. Montreal is no exception. Writer Mark Twain visited in 1881 and said: "This is the first time I was ever in a city where you couldn’t throw a brick without breaking a church window." Montreal can boast of having at least two of these majestic buildings built for Catholic rituals that are recognized as major city landmarks as well as busy tourist attractions.
Notre Dame Basilica on Notre-Dame Street in Old Montreal draws its fair share of tourists. Saint Joseph’s Oratory also attracts crowds of visitors and pilgrims of many faiths. The steps leading up to its door have become a way for Christians to communicate with God. The faithful can often be found ascending on their knees, reciting a rosary on each step as they go.
Saint Joseph’s Oratory will be forever associated with its founder, Brother André. According to legend, he miraculously oversaw several unexplained healings. Old canes and crutches suddenly become useless and are now on display inside the oratory.
Brother André will finally be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in October. To mark the occasion, the oratory invites people to rediscover this Montreal landmark that has the second largest dome in the world after St. Peter’s Basilica.
The exhibition Le chemin de foi du frère André (Brother André’s Journey of Faith) will be open this summer from 10 am to 4:30 pm daily. The entire month of August will be devoted to the faithful who have made the oratory an internationally-renowned pilgrimage site.
On Saturday, October 30, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium will welcome thousands of people to celebrate his canonization.