Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal

Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal

Canada's largest church, its vast verdigris-green dome overlooking the city, where pilgrims climb 283 steps on their knees. It is an important Catholic pilgrimage site in North America.

St. Joseph's Oratory stands on the northwest slope of Mount Royal. It was founded by Brother André, who was famous for praying with the sick for their healing. A small chapel was built first in 1904. The present great basilica began construction in 1924 and was completed in 1967. It is Canada's largest church, and its dome rises 97 meters on the outside, making it one of the largest church domes in the world. Around 2 million pilgrims and visitors come each year. Highlights include the wide front steps, which have 283 steps. A wooden staircase in the middle often sees believers making their way up on their knees, one step at a time. The underground prayer chapel is lit by tens of thousands of candles, and its walls are hung with crutches left behind by people who were healed. Brother André's tomb and his heart, kept in a reliquary, are here, and he was canonized as a saint in 2010. The interior of the great church is simple and modern, with a grand organ and bronze sculptures. The renovation completed in 2022 opened the dome observation deck (Observatoire), where you can climb near the dome and look out over western Montreal and the Olympic Stadium tower. There is also a new museum that tells the history of the church. These cost about CAD 15–25. Entry to the church itself is free. Free shuttles and elevators are available beside the steps, so people with limited mobility can also get up. Transit: it is about a 10-minute walk from Côte-des-Neiges station on the blue metro line. It can be combined with a visit to Mount Royal Park.

Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal

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