A Celebration of Women
is excited to celebrate this news!
This pilgrimage site is very close to our hearts; as it is the land of our Founders Family. St. Joseph’s Oratory was built on land gifted to the Roman Catholic Church many generations ago by her French Family. The Founder of A Celebration of Women is enjoying this walk down the Desmarchais (family lore) memory lane, as one of the great, great grandchildren of this gift to Brother Andre.
Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal
Perched high on the northern slope of Montreal’s Mount Royal, Saint Joseph’s Oratory is a vast Roman Catholic pilgrimage centre that attracts travellers from around the world. The copper-domed basilica, which dominates the landmark site, overlooks the city and can be seen for several kilometres around. Pilgrims and tourists who visit Mount Royal come through a gated entryway and walk along a sacred path, the Way of the Cross and the gardens that lead to the basilica.In addition to being a renowned spiritual and tourist destination, the Oratory also has great historic value. Its original building, a small chapel, was built between 1904 and 1912 and was expanded with the assistance of many great architects throughout the first half of the 20th century. In 2005, the Oratory was added to the list of National Historic Sites.Today, the site is perhaps best known for its founder, Brother André, who was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on October 17, 2010. He is the second Canadian-born saint in our country’s history and the first Canadian man to be canonized.Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan’s National Historic Sites of Canada Cost-Sharing Program, the government contributed $425,000 in 2009–2010 and will contribute up to $425,000 in 2010–2011 to support restoration work at Saint Joseph’s Oratory. These funds will allow the repair of the copper roofs on the basilica’s four turrets and the surrounding stone masonry walls.
Site Information Names: St. Joseph’s Oratory; L’Oratoire Saint-Joseph Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Faith: Christianity Denomination: Catholic Dedication: St. Joseph Categories: Churches; Catholic Shrines Architecture: Renaissance Date: 1955 Features: Relics Status: active Visitor Information Address: 3800 Chemin Queen Mary, Montreal, Canada Coordinates: 45.491938° N, 73.616928° W (view on Google Maps) Lodging: View hotels near this location Phone: 514/733-8211 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 514/733-8211 end_of_the_skype_highlighting Website: www.saint-joseph.org Public transport: Métro: Côtes-des-NeigesBus: 165 Opening hours: Daily 6am-9:30pm; museum daily 9am-5pm; tours 10am and 2pm in summer and weekends Sept-Oct. 56-bell carillon plays Wed-Fri noon-3pm, Sat-Sun noon-2:30pm Cost: Free; donations requested Official tours: 90-minute guided tours are offered in several languages at 10am and 2pm daily in summer and on weekends in September and October; call for times. Tours are free but a donation is requested. Facilities: Cafeteria, snack bar
Brother André
Born on August 9, 1845, Brother André (Alfred Bessette) died on January 6, 1937, aged 91.
Brother André
The hamlet of St. Joseph owes its association with the “little brother” to Narcisse Cantin. Both men shared a similar personal devotion to St. Joseph, the patron saint of Canada. When a chance meeting occurred between Cantin and Brother André at the St. Joseph Oratory of Mont-Royal in Montréal in 1908, a life-long, friendship developed.
In 1917, Cantin obtained permission to bring Brother André back to St. Joseph for a brief vacation. This was the first of many visits by Brother Andre to the area.
While visiting St. Joseph, Brother Andre expressed his desire to see a statue erected in honour of St. Joseph and even selected a site for the monument. The site of the statue is the St. Joseph Memorial Park, located at the intersection of highways 21 and 84. Erected in 1972, the monument is also marked with a commemorative plaque about Brother Andre and his interest in the community.
Brother Andre continued to visit St. Joseph until 1922.
This year (2010) the Vatican announced that Brother André is to be canonized on October 17, 2010.
“The canonization celebration is a signal of the vitality of the Indiana Province of Holy Cross,” said Rev. Edwin H. Obermiller, C.S.C., Assistant Provincial. “The Indiana Province of Holy Cross is currently working with more than 600 men a year who are considering a vocation. And there are 50 men in the United States currently studying to become Holy Cross priests. They and their brothers in Holy Cross will continue the work of our founder, Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., in the spirit of Brother André.”To learn more about Brother Andre, read:Saint Joseph
Quebec History: http://www.memorablemontreal.com/accessibleQA/en/histoire.php?quartier=6
Sourceof partial information: http://www.pm.gc.ca/
