Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica is one of the crown jewels in Quebec’s rich religious heritage.Built between 1824 and 1829, the imposing structure of the Notre-Dame Basilica reigns over the Old-Montréal. Its neo-gothic architecture and the wealth of its inside and outside decoration makes it a jewel.Your kids may not appreciate that the Basilica has some of the finest Gothic Revival architecture in North America, but they will love the spectacular multimedia “And Then There Was Light” show that highlights the Basilica’s history, culture, and architecture.
The French gothic basilica, largely modeled on the St. Chapelle in Paris with intricately carved wood gilded with 23 karat gold leaf, is spectacular. The organ in the main chapel has 7,000 pipes and four keyboards. The wedding chapel, or Notre Dame du Sacre Coeur (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) depicts the various stages of life: birth, adulthood, old age, and death where man ascends to heaven. The bronze sculpture was created from 32 panels cast in England and assembled in Montreal. Its organ has 1648 pipes.The opulence of the church must require funding. Therefore, each visitor is required to pay a $5.00 entry fee. Seeing the church and its art is fine; however, on a tour of the city one might opt for a museum of local artists.
My wife and I attempted to attend Mass here on Sunday November 23rd. We arrived a few minutes early as we wanted to light votive candles and pray a little before the Mass. While walking down the side of the church to find the bye-alter we were challenged by an attendant. She asked if we were there for Mass, and before we answered she told us that if we were we would need to sit down and not go “sightseeing”, her words. Embarrassed, we took seats but left before the end of the Mass as we were upset by the incident. Perhaps the Church should deconsecrate the Notre-Dame Basilica and allow it to function solely as a revenue generating tourist attraction. The staff there seem more interested in that function than in the religious purpose of the building or the well being of would-be worshippers.
Beautiful place! Have to pay $5 for the entry but definitely worth it
Fantastic place. A must see. Beautiful architecture from an Irish architect.
Sunday service absolutely memorable. You would almost want to move to Montreal to have such a mass every sunday…