Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral
Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral Location in Montreal
45°29′57.10″N 73°34′6.10″W / 45.4991944°N 73.5683611°W / 45.4991944; -73.5683611
Location	1085 De la Cathédrale street Montreal, Quebec H3B 2V3
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Cathedral, minor basilica
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Style	Renaissance, Baroque
Groundbreaking	1875
Completed	1894
Specifications
Length	101.5 metres (333 ft)
Width	45.72 metres (150.0 ft)
Height	76.8 metres (252 ft) (cupola)
Administration
Archdiocese	Montreal
Metropolis	Montreal
Province	Montreal

The Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral is a large and important church in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is also known as the Mary, Queen of the World and St. James the Great Cathedral. This church is a minor basilica, which is a special title given by the Pope. It is also the main church for the Roman Catholic community in Montreal.

This cathedral is the third largest church in Quebec. Only Saint Joseph's Oratory (also in Montreal) and the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré are bigger. The building is about 101 meters (333 feet) long and 46 meters (150 feet) wide. Its highest point, the dome, reaches 77 meters (252 feet) high.

You can find the cathedral at 1085 Cathedral Street in downtown Montreal. It's close to the Bonaventure metro station and Central Station. The cathedral and its connected buildings are a big part of Place du Canada and Dorchester Square.

History of the Cathedral

Benediction of the first stone used to build the cathedral, around 1870.

The idea for this cathedral came from Mgr. Ignace Bourget, who was the second bishop of Montreal. He wanted to build a new church after the old one, Saint-Jacques Cathedral, burned down in 1852.

Why Build a Copy of St. Peter's?

Bishop Bourget decided to build the new cathedral as a smaller copy of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. This was a way to show respect to the Pope and also to compete with other religious groups in Montreal. These groups, like the Sulpician order and the Anglican Church, preferred a different style of building called Neo-Gothic.

The location of the new cathedral was also a bit controversial. It was built in the western part of downtown, which was mostly an English-speaking area. This was far from where most French-Canadian churchgoers lived.

The first architect, Victor Bourgeau, thought it was too hard to copy St. Peter's on a smaller scale and refused the job. But Bishop Bourget was determined. At that time, the Pope's lands in Italy were being threatened by soldiers. Bishop Bourget showed his support by sending 507 Canadian soldiers, called Zouaves, to help defend the Pope. Their names are written in gold inside the cathedral. Their motto was: "Love God and go your way."

A priest named Fr. Joseph Michaud was sent to Rome to secretly make a small model of St. Peter's. This model would help with the building plans.

Building and Dedication

Construction of the cathedral began in 1875. The new church was officially opened in 1894. It was first named Saint James Cathedral after Saint James the Great, who was the patron saint of the local parish. At that time, it was the largest church in Quebec.

In 1919, Pope Benedict XV gave it the special title of a minor basilica. Later, in 1955, Pope Pius XII asked that the cathedral be renamed to Mary, Queen of the World. This was done at the request of Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger. The Pope had given Mary this title in 1954.

Between 1955 and 1960, the cathedral was repaired and updated. On March 28, 2000, it was recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada, meaning it's a very important historical place.

Since 2003, the area outside the cathedral and the entrance hall have been rebuilt. In 2005, the statue of Bishop Ignace Bourget outside the church was cleaned and fixed.

Inside the Cathedral: Design and Art

The cathedral's design is inspired by Renaissance architecture and Baroque architecture. It has many beautiful features inside.

Special Chapels

Baptism Chapel

There is a small chapel just for baptism ceremonies. It has a marble baptismal font, which is a bowl used for baptisms. This font sits on a stucco crucifix (a cross with Jesus on it) made by Louis-Philippe Hébert.

Bishops' Burial Chapel

The bishop's mortuary chapel is located on the east wall of the cathedral.

This chapel, finished in 1933, is where many bishops are buried. It is on the east side of the cathedral, between the main entrance and the altar. The tomb of Mgr. Bourget, a beautiful artwork from Rome, is in the middle of this chapel. His remains were moved there in 1933. Other important bishops are buried on one side, and assistant bishops on the other.

The walls and floors of this chapel are made of marble from Italy. They also have colorful mosaics. A bronze plaque above the altar shows a picture of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

In 2005, a second burial chapel was built next to the first one. This was needed because the first chapel was running out of space for more burials. The new chapel has 15 more burial spots.

Chapel of the Assumption

This chapel is also called the Marriage Chapel. It's on the west side of the church, opposite the Bishops' Chapel. It has a stunning wooden altar piece, decorated with gold. This altar piece frames a painting that shows the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was made around 1635 in Switzerland by a Spanish monk.

In 1957, Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger made this chapel available to the Order of Malta, a Catholic organization. The beautiful stained-glass windows in this chapel are dedicated to this Order.

The Ciborium

A neo-baroque ciborium is located under the dome of the building.

Under the large dome, above the main altar, is a grand structure called a ciborium or baldaquin. It has twisting columns and was made in Rome in 1900. It's a copy of the famous 'baldacchino' in St. Peter's Basilica, which was created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

This ciborium is made by hand from red copper and gold leaf. The angels, decorations, and symbols of the Pope were sculpted between 1910 and 1911. This amazing artwork was a gift to the cathedral from the Sulpicians.

The Great Organ

The cathedral's organ was built by a company called Casavant Frères. It was first used on September 22, 1893. Back then, it had 56 different sounds (called stops) and three keyboards.

In 1951, the organ needed repairs, so it was completely rebuilt by Casavant Frères. They added 20 more stops and another keyboard.

From 1995 to 1996, the organ was restored again. A few more additions were made, and now the organ has a total of 93 stops, four keyboards, and a pedal board (for playing with your feet).

Historical Paintings

A painting of the first Mass celebrated at Rivière-des-Prairies by Fr. Denis Jamet. This is one of several paintings inside the cathedral.

Along the sides of the main part of the church (the nave) and in the transept (the arms of the cross-shaped church), there are paintings. These paintings show important historical events from the early days of Montreal, when it was called Ville-Marie. There are nine paintings, with three empty spaces for more.

Here are some of the stories they tell:

• A painting of Colonel Athanase de Charette, who led the Papal Zouaves from Montreal.
• Marguerite d'Youville singing a hymn to children during a fire that destroyed her hospital in 1765.
• Marguerite Bourgeoys teaching her Amerindian students in 1694.
• The difficult story of Jean de Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalemant, Jesuit missionaries, being tortured by the Iroquois in the land of the Hurons.
• Father Barthélemy Vimont celebrating the first Mass in Montreal on May 18, 1642. Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance, who helped found Montreal, are shown attending.
• A painting about the founding of Ville-Marie. In 1641, people who dreamed of building the city attended a Mass in Notre-Dame of Paris to ask for protection.
• The first Mass celebrated at Rivière-des-Prairies by Father Denis Jamet on June 24, 1615. Samuel de Champlain, who founded Quebec City, is in this painting.
• The sad story of Nicolas Viel and his student Ahuntsic being killed by three Amerindians at the rapids of Sault-au-Récollet.
• Jeanne Mance and the nursing sisters of Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph caring for a sick child in Montreal's first hospital, Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal.

Important Statues

In the apse (the curved part behind the altar) is a statue of Mary, Queen of the World, the cathedral's patron saint. This statue was made by Sylvia Daoust.

Just like St. Peter's Basilica has statues of 12 apostles on its front, this cathedral has statues of the patron saints from 13 Montreal parishes. These parishes donated money to help build the cathedral. The statues were made by Olindo Gratton between 1892 and 1898.

Statues of the patron saints of the parishes of Montreal atop the cathedral's main entrance.

Next to the church, there is also a monument dedicated to Bishop Ignace Bourget.

Golden Texts Inside

Golden letters adorn the inside of the cathedral.

Many Latin texts written in golden letters decorate the inside of the cathedral. Since the church was first dedicated to Saint James the Greater, many of these texts are about his life.

Here are some of the texts you can find:

• In the main part of the church (nave):
  • On the east side: "He [James] is one of the three Apostles whom the Savior loves the most. In Judea and Samaria he converts many to the Christian faith."
  • On the west side: "He also converts some people in Spain, in Jerusalem he is condemned to death. He is the first of the Apostles that bears witness to Jesus with his blood."

• In the transepts (the arms of the cross): These texts are from the Bible (Matthew 20:22–23). They talk about James and John asking Jesus to sit beside him in his Kingdom.
  • On the east side: "And Jesus, answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They said to Him: We can. And he told them:"
  • On the west side: "My chalice indeed you shall drink, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant, [these places] belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

• In the dome and altar area: Two other texts, from Matthew 16:17–19, are about Saint Peter, who was the leader of the Apostles. You can also find these texts in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
  • Inside the cupola: "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.
  • In the chancel and apse: "And whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven: And whatsoever you shall loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven. Feed my sheep."

The cupola of the cathedral, which features text inside of it.

• At the base of the cupola: This text is broken into four parts around the dome. It's from the Bible (Revelation 4:8) and praises God: "Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord, who is, who was, and who is to come."

Images for kids

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  The Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal.

See also

In Spanish: Catedral basílica de María Reina del Mundo y de Santiago (Montreal) para niños

• Roman Catholic Marian churches
• List of cathedrals in Canada
• List of tallest domes