St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, A testament to faith and healing

Add to trip 3800 Queen Mary Road, Montreal, Quebec H3V 1H6, Canada

One of the iconic buildings in Montreal

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Introduction

Saint Joseph's Oratory is a pontifical basilica located in the southwestern corner of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originating in 1904, the small chapel was built by Brother André Bessette of the Congregation of Holy Cross next to the College of Notre-Dame on Mount Royal. Due to its popularity, the chapel was expanded in 1917 to include a church of 1,000 seats, and the current basilica was built between 1924 and 1967. The dome of the basilica is the third largest in the world, after the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro in Côte d'Ivoire and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and it is Canada's largest church. The patron saint of Saint Joseph's Oratory is Saint Joseph, and Brother André reported many miracles related to healing diseases. Each year, many disabled, blind, and sick people come to pilgrimage, many of whom are new Protestants. Inside the basilica, a wall displays the crutches of thousands of people claimed to be healed here. In 1982, Pope John Paul II declared Brother André to be Blessed and his heart was preserved in the basilica museum. Saint Joseph's Oratory welcomes over two million visitors and pilgrims each year and is conveniently located near the Côte-des-Neiges Metro Station. In 2005, Saint Joseph's Oratory was designated a National Historic Site of Canada and is a highly revered attraction. Additionally, in the board game Monopoly, Montreal is represented by a photo of Saint Joseph's Oratory.