Alfred Bessette joined the Congregation of the Holy Cross in 1870 and took the name Brother Andre. He was given the job of doorkeeper at
College Notre-Dame where he greeted visitors to the school. Occasionally sick people came to visit. Brother Andre would pray with them and they would recover. Word got around--more and more people came, not to visit the college, but to ask for Brother Andre's prayers. He attributed the cures to Saint Joseph and encouraged the people to ask the foster-father of Jesus to intercede for them.
Brother Andre wanted to build a chapel to Saint Joseph on Mount Royal in Canada. With so many people coming to see him, it was an obstacle for the academic pursuits of the students. He was given permission in 1904 to build a chapel up the hill which he called "The Oratory." The first chapel soon was too small for the number of visitors, both the sick and those who came back in gratitude after cures. Expansions were made and finally a crypt church with a basilica above was approved. The crypt was completed in 1917. The basilica required more work, including blasting into the rocky mountain. Construction began in 1924 though progress stopped because of the Great Depression. Brother Andre died in 1937 and the various supporters of the Oratory felt a new impetus to finish the project. It was finally completed in 1967, though work on the steps down to the road is on-going.
We visited the basilica which was a breath-taking experience.
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| Side view of Saint Joseph's Oratory |
As we walked in, there were displays on the life of Joseph, which naturally meant on the life of Jesus.
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| Young Jesus found at the Temple by his worried parents |
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| Teaching Jesus carpentry |
Another exhibit shows various actual and fanciful church models.
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| Amazing Polish creation |
The Basilica can seat more than 2000 people and is spacious. The decoration is modern yet tasteful.
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| Nave |
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| Sanctuary |
The main altar is decorated in bas relief with scenes from the burial and resurrection of Jesus.
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| Back of the main altar |
A relatively smaller chapel is dedicated to Saint Andre Bessette.
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| His small statue is on the side |
The back wall of the sanctuary has a mosaic showing eleven scenes from Saint Joseph's life.
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| Mosaic of St. Joseph's life |
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| Joseph marries Mary |
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| Patron of a happy death |
The Stations of the Cross are sculpted in limestone and surround the pillars holding up the dome.
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| Station I--Pilate condemns Jesus |
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| Station II--Jesus bears His cross |
The stained-glass windows are also very impressive.
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| Saint Joseph in glass |
At the ends of the transepts (the two wings off the nave that give the floor plan its cross shape) are elongated statues of the twelve apostles. They are made of oak and are 4.8 meters tall (15.5 feet). We were fascinated to see one of the apostles had two heads! Looking it up in the guide book, we discovered that the Apostle Paul is peering over Peter's shoulder.
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| Apostles |
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| Apostles on four-for-three special |
Various medallion paintings of the Holy Family were taken from the Institut Nazareth.
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| Flight into Egypt |
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| Learning a trade |
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| The Nativity |
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| Another happy death image |
The organ , designed and built by Rudolf von Beckerath, has 5811 pipes. It was originally built in the late 1950s, then restored in 2011 and 2012. The longest pipe is 32 feet!
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| Organ |
Visitors can walk out onto a concourse that has magnificent views of the city, include the College Notre-Dame where St. Andre worked.
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| College Notre-Dame with the green roofs |
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| More of the city |
The concourse also has a copy of
Angels Unawares. We saw
another casting of it at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. The artist is Timothy Schmalz.
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| Angels Unawares |
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| View of the basilica from the concourse |
The votive chapel is a long, large hallway between the Crypt Church (which wasn't photographed because Mass was going on) and the rock of the mountain.
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| Votive chapel |
Bas reliefs depict the various titles of Saint Joseph, including my favorite, "Terror of Demons."
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| Terror of Demons |
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| Patron of the Church |
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| My son lighting a candle |
Canes and crutches were left behind by visitors to the Oratory in gratitude for favors achieved though Saint Joseph's intercession.
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| Crutches and Canes |
The tomb of Brother Andre is located in a room just off of the votive chapel.
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| Tomb of Saint Andre |
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| Bust of Andre |
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| Statue of Mary with the mountain rocks behind her |
Another level of the basilica has a museum with an exhibit on Brother Andre.
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| Various statues |
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| Bell from the college |
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| Doorkeeper's quarters |
This area has a reliquary with Brother Andre's heart inside. It's another spot for quiet reflection and prayer.
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| Brother Andre's heart |
On the other side of the parking lot is original chapel from 1904.
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| The first Oratory |
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| The main altar |
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| Plaques of gratitude to St. Joseph and Brother Andre |
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| An icon of Brother Andre |
Outside is a statue sculpted in 1955 by Emile Brunet.
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| Brother Andre |
Saint Joseph's Oratory is the largest church in the world dedicated to Jesus's earthly dad and is well worth visiting.
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