Saint Joseph's Oratory, Minor basilica in Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal, Canada.
Saint Joseph's Oratory is a Roman Catholic minor basilica on Mount Royal's Westmount Summit in Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal. Its light gray stone walls rise behind a retaining wall and trees, with a massive green copper dome on a drum of arched windows, topped by a lantern and cross. A lower entrance section has columns, a large arched window, and stairs; a small green-roofed turret stands at the left corner.
Brother André, a Holy Cross porter credited with healings, built a small wooden chapel on Mount Royal in 1904; it was enlarged several times as pilgrims multiplied. Architects Dalbé Viau and Alphonse Venne began the crypt church in 1916 and the basilica in 1924 in Renaissance Revival style, but the Great Depression halted work before the roof. In 1937 Dom Paul Bellot redesigned the dome on the model of Florence Cathedral, and it was finished in 1941.
The site takes its name from Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus, and today serves as a pilgrimage destination with a room displaying crutches left behind by visitors. Inside the crypt rests Brother André's heart, preserved in a small reliquary that visitors can view.
Access is provided by stairs and an elevator running from the lower parking area up to the church level. Visitors who prefer walking can use the long outdoor staircase that climbs through the gardens.
The church dome sits roughly 300 meters (984 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest in North America. The entire structure spans several levels, so visitors climbing up can enjoy different views over Montreal.
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