On 13 February, Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, Quebec, proudly inaugurated its new welcome and reception pavilion. Construction on the innovative and eco-friendly infrastructure began in 2018 and spans 5,000 square meters over four floors. Its completion marks a significant milestone in the oratory’s history of welcoming pilgrims and visitors, who number nearly 2 million a year.
Despite almost blizzard conditions, approximately 175 guests attended the inauguration, including federal, provincial, and city government officials, Holy Cross Priests, Brothers, Sisters, local benefactors, and friends and staff of the oratory. Representing the General Administration were Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., Superior General, and Fr. Vijay Amirtharaj, C.S.C., Fifth Assistant General. Among the Holy Cross religious present were also Sr. Raymonde Masionneauve, C.S.C., Animatrice Général of the Sisters of Holy Cross, and Fr. Claude Grou, C.S.C., Superior of the Congregation’s Canadian Province.
Learn more about the New Welcome Pavilion
In his welcome address, Fr. Bernard Antoine, C.S.C., Rector, said: “It is a joy to finally inaugurate this new reception pavilion, which will allow us to welcome pilgrims and visitors in an environment that enhances Saint Joseph’s Oratory—our Shrine that combines beauty and rich heritage—while honoring the legacy of Saint Brother André.”
Br. Paul in his remarks referred to the oratory as being first a sanctuary of prayer where people, through the intercession of St. Joseph and St. André, encounter the many manifestations of God’s presence in its peaceful and beautiful surroundings. He expressed his hope that the new pavilion “will continue the oratory’s legacy of welcome to people of all faiths—people who seek healing, solace, or sacramental grace from their life’s challenges and struggles.”
The new pavilion is contemporary in design and represents the commitment of Saint Joseph’s Oratory to sustainability and environmental responsibility. By adding street-level access, the pavilion will help the oratory more warmly welcome and receive guests with physical disabilities, which is an important part of its ministry continuing the legacy of St. André Bessette. It also features a gift shop, a glass-walled cafeteria, a large meeting room, and numerous relaxation spaces with luminous glass ceilings and windows offering unique views of the oratory and its dome.
The new pavilion also houses in a grant tower the fully restored 62-bell carillon. As the only traditional carillon in Quebec, it is an important part of Quebec's heritage. The bells were originally intended for the Eiffel Tower but were loaned to the Saint Joseph’s Oratory in 1955 and eventually gifted by generous donors. The restoration has greatly improved the carillon’s performance, and the addition of six new bells has expanded its musical repertoire.
After the inauguration and blessings, all guests were invited to a reception in the fourth-floor meeting room.
The next phase of the $150 million Grand Development Project includes the reconfiguration of the gardens, the development of museum space, and the enhancement of the Basilica’s dome, which eventually will be open to visitors.
Saint Joseph’s Oratory, which is the largest shrine dedicated to the foster father of Jesus in the world, was the dream of the congregation’s first canonized saint, Br. André Bessette. Known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal”, St. André through the intercession of St. Joseph as the instrument of God’s healing grace in the lives of many during his lifetime. The oratory, which is one of two Congregational Patrimonies for Holy Cross given its importance in the congregation’s history and charism, continues his legacy of welcoming, accompanying, and praying with all those who suffer or are looking for hope.