Montreal – Day II

On Saturday morning I took the metro to the Oratoire Saint-Joseph (St. Joseph’s Oratory). The oratory was built in 1924 and is the largest church in Canada. It also has a massive dome, which trails only those of St. Peter’s in Rome and a basilica in the Ivory Coast.

To get to the oratory’s entrance you have to scale a seemingly endless series of steps. I couldn’t complain, though, given that there was a center lane reserved for pilgrims who chose to climb the entire route on their knees (to demonstrate their faith). On the way up I didn’t see anyone doing this, but on the way down there were two guys doing so and it looked painful.

The view from the top is nice, though I’m sure those who successfully complete the climb on their knees appreciate it more.

The inside of the oratory had a very modern feel to it. I think that I was expecting something a bit different, though I’m not sure exactly what.

Adjacent to the oratory is small chapel constructed under Saint Andre (Brother Andre at the time) in 1904. The chapel contains the crutches / canes of the many pilgrims that he reportedly healed through his miracles.

 

After heading back to Vieux Montréal I stopped by the Pointe à Callière museum, which focuses on the city’s history. It is built over the ruins of Montreal’s first settlement and provides interesting insight into life during the 17th century. It was neat to walk among the ruins, which are well preserved below the museum, and see artifacts from the time of the first settlers.

In the afternoon I met up with Rick and Serge for some drinks and then dinner at a great restaurant that they had selected – Steak-Frites. It had been a while since I’d been able to order a nice steak (I’ve yet to find a really good one in Switzerland), so the restaurant selection was exactly what I was looking for.