| rev:text
| - I really have a hard time believing I am the first to review this. This was an exceptional place to visit. Built in the 1960s, it's a shrine dedicated to Jesus' father, Saint Joseph, by the Brothers of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. It seems one of the monks, Brother Andre (who dreamed of this place) also was known for his curative miracles and people from all over Canada and the world make the pilgrimage here yearly.
It's got four chapels and the basilica (chapels is a loose term-the largest holds upwards of 1000 people) all of which are available for self-guided tour. There is also the tomb of Brother Andre, a permanent exhibit dedicated to his life, a museum on the history of the holy family, and (seasonally) the shrine gardens for viewing. The museum is known for its' permanent exhibit of nativity creches from around the world. Guided tours are given and probably the best way to see most of the Oratory quickly, but you can do just a well picking up a brochure at the visitor's center and taking the complex at your own pace. Personally, I think most impressive features are the Crypt Church with its' stained glass windows, the 300 steps (or 99 kneeling steps for pilgrims) to the basilica, and the Votive Chapel where previous grantees of Brother Andre's miracles left their crutches and canes. Although not impressive at all (as it should be), the chapel of Brother Andre is the original site of his miracles and is located away from the grandeur of the basilica.
A word of caution, the Oratory, being built in the mid-1900s, is modern and doesn't have quite the ornamentation of older pre-1900 churches, but nonetheless, it is just as impressive. It also features a carillon (bell tower) that gives performances most days of the week and a world renown Boys' Choir (Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal) which tours internationally in the summer. I think they are almost as good as Vienna's Boys' Choir.
The shrine does have a touristy side with a gift shop and cafe, but at least the Oratory hasn't started charging admission, although they do ask for a donation to view the museum. There also is a small hostel for pilgrims to the shrine who will be staying overnight. I did the entire thing in several hours, but you can probably get through it in a hour or less if you want to. Being a shrine of medical miracles, the place is definitely wheelchair accessible, but to walk the Oratory is a bit of hike. The basilica sits on the western part of Parc du Mont-Royal and the dome can be seen all over Montreal (I think it's actually the highest point in Montreal.) The closest Metro stop is Cote des Neiges, but it still a long walk from the Metro station. I suspect you can catch a bus from the Metro station though. Also check the website for additional information such as open times.
It's a must see in my opinion that definitely doesn't break the bank (READ: Free!)
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)