L'Oratoire St-Joseph

Description:

• This huge Catholic church -- consecrated as a basilica in 2004 and dominating the north slope of Mont-Royal -- is seen by some as inspiring, by others as forbidding. At 236m (856 ft.), it is the highest point in Montréal. It came into being through the efforts of Brother André, a lay brother in the Holy Cross order who enjoyed a reputation as a healer. By the time he had built a small wooden chapel in 1904 on the mountain, he was said to have performed hundreds of cures. His powers attracted supplicants from great distances, and Brother André performed his work until his death in 1937. In 1982, he was beatified by the pope -- a status one step below sainthood -- and his dream of building a shrine to honor St. Joseph, patron saint of Canada, became a completed reality in 1967.

  The church is largely Italian Renaissance in style, its giant copper dome recalling the shape of the Duomo in Florence, but of greater size and less grace. Inside is a sanctuary and museum where a central exhibit is the heart of Brother André. His original wooden chapel, with its tiny bedroom, is on the grounds and open to the public. Two million pilgrims visit annually, with many guests seeking intercession from St. Joseph and Brother André by climbing the middle set of 99 steps on their knees. Guided tours are offered in French and English and can be arranged in other languages. There is a modest 14-room hostel on the grounds; rooms at the Jean XXIII Pavilion start at C$45 (US$39/£19).

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010