Saint Joseph's Oratory

It was a beautiful bright, sunny (not warm) day. Perfect for taking in the views from the terrace of Saint Joseph's Oratory.

Built on the slopes of Mount Royal, Saint Joseph's Oratory is an important landmark in Montreal with over 2 million visitors a year. Splendid and majestic, it rises 406 feet above its base and because it sits on a hill, towers 506 feet above street level. The basilica dome is a familiar feature in the skyline with its presence further enhanced by its location on Mount Royal.

This grand Italian Renaissance style building is impressive because of its great size and architecture, but had humble beginnings when a small chapel was built in 1904 by Brother Andre to honour Saint Joseph. As visitors to Saint Joseph's increased, construction of the basilica began. Started in 1924 (halted for a few years following the economic crisis of 1929) it was ultimately inaugurated in 1955.

Cannonized in 2010, Saint Brother Andre also had humble beginnings, but rose to fame because of extraordinary cures and miraculous healings attributed to him. Millions of pilgrims come to the Oratory to pray to Brother Andre and visit his tomb, which is on the first level of the building. A large chapel and a small church with a seating capacity of 1000 are also on the first level.

The basilica, which comfortably seats 2,200 and has standing room for 10,000, is reached through the interior of the building using escalators, elevators and stairs for the energetic. The four 60 foot Corinthian columns that define the main portico of the basilica are 100 steps above the terrace that is on top of the rectangular base building.

Although covered in ice and snow, I walked out to the terrace to enjoy the spectacular view of northwest Montreal Island and beyond as far as Lake Saint Louis and the Saint Lawrence River to the west and the Laurentian Mountains to the north.

Although the steps were treacherous as they were covered in ice and snow, I could not resist the climb to the portico, for the even loftier view.