Religious, Spiritual sights in Montréal
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A
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours
Known as the Sailors’ Church, this enchanting chapel derives its name from the sailors who left behind votive lamps in the shapes of ships in thanksgiving for safe passage. The restored interior has stained-glass windows and paintings depicting key moments in the life of the Virgin Mary (for whom Montréal – aka Ville-Marie – was originally named). The attached Musée Marguerite-Bourgeoys relates the story of Montréal’s first teacher and the founder of the Congregation of Notre-Dame order of nuns. The crypt has artifacts dating back 2000 years and foundations of the original chapel from 1773. The observation tower offers grand views of the Old Port.
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B
Christ Church Cathedral
Montréal’s first Anglican bishop had this cathedral built (modeled on a Salisbury, England, church) and it was completed in 1859. The church was the talk of the town in the late 1980s when it allowed a shopping center, the Promenades de la Cathédrale, to be built underneath it. Spectacular photos show the house of worship resting on concrete stilts while construction went on underneath. The interior is sober apart from the pretty stained-glass windows made by William Morris’ studios in London. In the rear cloister garden stands a memorial statue to Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved 100,000 Jews from the concentration camps in WWII.
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C
Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde
The Cathedral of Mary Queen of the World is a smaller but still magnificent version of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The architects scaled it down to one-quarter size, mindful of the structural risks of Montréal’s severe winters. This landmark was built from 1870 to 1894 as a symbol of Catholic power in the heart of Protestant Montréal. The 13 statues of saints over the entrance are sculpted in wood and covered with copper; at nighttime they’re brilliantly illuminated. The neobaroque altar canopy, a replica of Bernini’s masterpiece in St Peter’s, is fashioned of gold leaf and copper with swirled roof supports.
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D
Grand Séminaire de Montréal
The immense complex was built in 1860 to train priests for the Roman Catholic diocese. Shortly after construction the main instruction building, the Collège de Montréal, was requisitioned by the British army to house soldiers (who departed in 1870 after petitioning by the archdiocese). The seminary has a pretty Romanesque chapel, with hand-carved oak pews and walls covered with imported stone from Caen, France. Several shaded canals on the property are lovely for a stroll. Tours last about 1½ hours and the guides are excellent.
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E
Vieux Séminaire de St-Sulpice
The Catholic order of Sulpicians was given title to the entire Island of Montréal in 1663. The order built the seminary in 1684 and the 3rd-floor apartments of the old seminary have been occupied ever since. The clock on the facade was a gift from French king Louis XIV in 1701; it is believed to be the oldest working clock in North America. Ancient oaks shade the rear garden laid out in 1715. The seminary and grounds are closed to the public.
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F
Church of St James the Apostle
Built in 1864 on a sports field for the British military, this Anglican church used to be called St Crickets in the Fields for the matches that unfolded here. The stained glass in the east transept, the Regimental Window, was donated in memory of the WWI fallen.
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