St. Patrick's Basilica, Montreal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Patrick's Basilica |
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| Basilique Saint-Patrick de Montréal | |
Exterior view of St. Patrick's
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| 45°30′13″N 73°33′53″W / 45.5035°N 73.5647°W | |
| Location | Montreal, Quebec |
| Country | Canada |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | [1] |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | P. L. Morin and Felix Martin |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1843 |
| Completed | 1847 |
| Construction cost | $1,000,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 71 metres (233 ft) |
| Width | 32 metres (105 ft) |
| Height | 69 metres (226 ft) |
| Official name: St. Patrick's Basilica National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1990 |
Saint Patrick's Basilica (also known as Basilique Saint-Patrick de Montréal in French) is a beautiful Roman Catholic church in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located on René-Lévesque Boulevard. This church is very important to the history of Montreal.
History of Saint Patrick's Basilica
This church is famous for its strong connections to the Irish Canadian community. Saint Patrick's celebrated its 150th birthday in 1997.
Long ago, in 1817, many Irish immigrants came to Montreal. The number of Catholic people grew very quickly. They first met at the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours church. Later, they moved to the Church of the Recollets. By 1841, there were 6,500 Irish Catholics. The old churches were too small for everyone.
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So, a new place was bought for Saint Patrick's Church. Building started in September 1843. It was built on the edge of town back then. The church looked over the homes of its members. These homes were in areas like Point St. Charles and Griffintown.
The first mass was held on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1847. This makes it the oldest English-speaking Roman Catholic Church in Montreal. In 1850, Samuel Russell Warren built the church's first organ. Many talented organists played there over the years.
The Quebec government recognized the church as a historic monument on December 10, 1985. It was also named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1996. This means it is a very important place in Canadian history.
On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1989, something special happened. Pope John Paul II gave the church the title of "minor basilica." This was asked for by Paul Grégoire, who was the cardinal archbishop of Montreal.
Architecture and Design
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The church building is designed in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like old medieval churches. It was designed by P. L. Morin and Father Felix Martin. The building is 71 metres (233 ft) (about 233 feet) long and 32 metres (105 ft) (about 105 feet) wide. The tall steeple reaches 69 metres (226 ft) (about 226 feet) high. It is seen as one of the most beautiful examples of this style in Canada.
Inside the Basilica
The inside of the church is richly decorated. You can see designs that mix French fleur de lys symbols with Irish shamrocks. The columns inside are very impressive. They are 25-metre (82 ft) (about 82 feet) tall. All of them were carved from the same white oak tree. They are covered in marble.
The church has three altars. It also has four beautiful rosette stained-glass windows. These windows were made by an artist from New York named Alex S. Locke. There are also 150 oil paintings of saints. Saint Patrick's Basilica has a large Casavant Frères pipe organ from 1895. This organ was later updated to work with electricity.
More decorations were added in 1922 by Guido Nincheri and again in 1931 by Victor Marion.
There is a very large lamp hanging in the main area. It is special because it is unique in North America. This lamp weighs 1800 pounds (about 815 kilograms). It was put in place in 1896. Each of the six angels on its base is 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) tall.
The church is also known for its "St. Patrick's Chimes." These are ten bells. The oldest bell is named "Charlotte." It was made in 1774 and was used in an older church. The bell system was fixed up in 1989.
The organ was first put in place in 1852. It has been rebuilt several times since then. In 1972, parts of an organ from another church were added to it. Saint Patrick's has been restored four times. The most recent restoration cost $5 million. Money came from people, companies, and the Quebec Government.
Inside the church, you can find special tributes to two famous people. Pew 240 was used by Thomas D'Arcy McGee. He was an important statesman and one of the Fathers of Confederation. He was sadly killed in 1868. At the back of the church, a plaque remembers the poet Émile Nelligan. He was baptized in the church on Christmas Day in 1879.
The church is located at 460 René Lévesque Boulevard West. This is in downtown Montreal, at the corner of Saint-Alexandre Street. You can get there by metro using the Square-Victoria-OACI or Place-des-Arts metro stations.
See also
In Spanish: Basílica de San Patricio (Montreal) para niños
- List of basilicas in Canada
