Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church Cathedral |
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Christ Church Cathedral, with the Tour KPMG office tower in the background
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| Location | 635 Saint Catherine Street west Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | active |
| Founded | 1789 |
| Dedication | Jesus Christ |
| Consecrated | 1867 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) |
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| Architectural type | Neo-Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1857 |
| Completed | 1860 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 62 metres (203 ft) |
| Width | 33 metres (108 ft) |
| Nave width | 34 metres (112 ft) |
| Height | 70 metres (230 ft) |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Spire height | 38 metres (125 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Montreal |
| Province | Canada |
Christ Church Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Christ Church) is a beautiful church in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It's an Anglican cathedral, which means it's the main church for the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. You can find it at 635 Saint Catherine Street West.
This amazing building sits right on top of an underground shopping mall called Promenades Cathédrale. It's also south of a tall office building, Tour KPMG. The government of Quebec recognized it as a historical monument in 1988. Later, in 1999, it was named a National Historic Site of Canada.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
The Anglican church started holding services in Montreal way back in 1760. For about 50 years, they used chapels that belonged to the Roman Catholic Church.
The First Christ Church
In 1789, the Anglican community in Montreal got an old Jesuit church. They renamed it Christ Church. This building was used until 1803, when it was sadly destroyed by a fire. The first service in this Christ Church was held on December 20, 1789.
The Second Christ Church
After the fire, a second church building was constructed in 1814. In 1850, this second Christ Church became the main cathedral for the new Anglican Diocese of Montreal. This happened when the Montreal diocese separated from the Anglican Diocese of Quebec. Unfortunately, this cathedral also burned down in 1856.
Building the Current Cathedral
The church you see today is a neo-Gothic style building. It was designed by an architect named Frank Wills. He also designed another Christ Church Cathedral in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Sadly, Wills passed away before construction began.
Another architect, Thomas Seaton Scott, was then hired to finish the design. The building was completed in 1859 and officially opened in 1867. Later, from 1890 to 1891, Andrew Taylor helped with changes and repairs.
The Leaning Tower Problem
Even though the cathedral's design was beautiful, it had a big problem. The ground underneath was too soft to hold up the heavy stone tower and steeple in the middle. The tower started to sink and lean! This led to a big legal case about who was responsible for the building's problems.
The case even went to the highest court in the British Empire at the time. The court decided that the builder was responsible because they built the steeple on ground that couldn't support its weight.
Fixing the Tower
By 1920, the tower was leaning about 1.2 meters (4 feet) to the south. To fix this, the heavy stone steeple, which weighed about 1,600,000 kilograms (3,500,000 pounds), was removed in 1927.
New foundations were built in 1939. In 1940, a generous donation allowed for a new, much lighter steeple to be built. This new steeple is made of aluminum but looks just like the old stone one. It is 38 meters (125 feet) tall, making the total height of the cathedral from the ground about 70 meters (230 feet).
Music at the Cathedral
The church has added a choir gallery, built in 1980. Its third organ was installed in 1981. Many famous musicians have played the organ here, including Alfred Whitehead and Patrick Wedd.
The current organ is a special instrument with four keyboards and many different sounds. It replaced an older organ that had been used since 1859. The older organ was built in London and was meant to be like an organ given to the church by King George III that was destroyed in the 1856 fire.
Promenades Cathédrale
In the 1980s, a huge building project happened right below the cathedral. This project included building a 34-floor skyscraper, Tour KPMG, north of the church. It also involved creating underground parking and two levels of retail stores directly beneath the cathedral.
For a while in 1987, the cathedral was actually held up on stilts! This allowed workers to dig out the foundations for the underground mall, Promenades Cathédrale. This project also helped connect the east and west parts of Montreal's underground city.
Canadian Grenadier Guards
Christ Church Cathedral is the special church for the Canadian Grenadier Guards. This military group keeps its traditions with the church and McGill University. Every year, around Remembrance Day, they march from the university campus to the cathedral. The church also keeps the Guards' old regimental flags.
L'Oasis musicale
Every Saturday at 2 PM, the cathedral hosts free weekly concerts called "L'Oasis musicale" (The Musical Oasis). These concerts help young, talented musicians who are just starting their careers. Many of them study at music colleges in Montreal.
The concerts are open to everyone. They feature different kinds of musicians, from solo players and singers to small orchestras and choirs. Most of the music is classical, but sometimes you might hear popular, folk, or traditional music too.
See also
- List of cathedrals in Canada
- Dean of Montreal
