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| - A completely different experience from Notre-Dame in the old section of the city near the port, but also a must-see destination in Montreal.
This church was inspired by now sainted Andre Bessette who was a poor and not well-educated humble French-Canadian priest who devoted his life to helping the poor and the ill. Many came to see him to be cured of their ailments. Bessette started his work from a small wooden chapel, which is still there, and donations came in which allowed the Oratory to be built.
The Oratory is in Cote-des-Neiges, slightly northwest of Centre-Ville, and it essentially shares the mountain in the middle of the city with Parc Mont-Royal. It is an imposing structure, atop a big flight of stairs. However, the parking (no longer free, so no Oratory visit last time) also climbs up to the sides of the complex and there are ways to get into the complex at grade, without stairs. Its cupola is reportedly the 3rd largest umbrella dome in the world, and maybe the largest cupola in Canada. The place holds some kind of record in Canada. The interior of the main church is solemn and the simple geometric beveling inside indicates an art deco style (not as in Miami Beach, but just art deco). The main church is extremely tall, somewhat plain, and very quiet. For a more intimate experience, the crypt church below is where most Masses are celebrated and it's a lot less ominous because of the much lower ceiling. Masses are held in, at the very least, French and English. There are some interesting things here, such as the huge staircase of candles in one of the wings, the museum, and the models of the church.
As for the non-religious aspects, there are incredible views from the various terraces of the church. Mind you, the mountain blocks the view toward the city, but one can look at the northern half of Montreal and all its northern suburbs beyond. From up there, everything seems very quiet and still. Generally, I don't like church gift shops, but this one is airy and has a lot of good tourist and/or religious articles you might buy. There is also a cafeteria on site and, thankfully, it is very low-key and informal. In general, the feeling here is very peaceful, so it's a shame they started charging for parking because a visit to the Oratory while in Montreal was always calming.
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