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In a few weeks, we will experience the Novena to Saint Joseph of 2025. On this occasion, crowds of people will visit the Votive Chapel. An iconic space of the Oratory, with its thousands of candles, its history is fascinating.
Tomb Problem
The tomb of Brother André in the Crypt during the visit of Abbé Bélanger. OSJ Archives, 21-8]
On May 15, 1943, a religious man from Montreal, Abbé Valérien Bélanger, went to the tomb of Brother André. Like others before him, he headed to the Crypt of the Oratory, where the remains are located. But for Abbé Bélanger, there was a serious problem: since the Crypt is a church in the same way as other places of worship in the diocese, the tomb should not be there. It is not an anonymous grave, but that of a man who “has just died in the odor of sanctity”!
The Oratory must act with great caution, as the entire canonization process could be at risk. Public veneration must especially be avoided before receiving authorization from Rome. Abbé Bélanger is adamant: the burial must be moved to outside the Crypt (1).
The trench between the Crypt and the cliff around 1946. On the right, the stained glass windows of the Crypt are visible, protected by wooden boards. OSJ Archives, 53-3d]
The scaffolding of the future chapel around 1946. The rounded section will house the tomb of Brother André. OSJ Archives, 53-3b]
Paths for All
In its April 1946 issue, The ORATORY magazine presents to its readers some photographs of the exterior construction site. The blasting between the back of the Crypt and the rock of the Basilica reveals an impressive 15-meter trench (4). Work on the interior, meanwhile, begins in November 1946, just a few months after the approval of the plans by architect Lucien Parent.
View of the interior of the Votive Chapel under construction, around 1949. OSJ Archives, 53-6]
A space for devotion to Saint Joseph is being organized: the votive candles will be showcased, as well as the ex-votos, objects left by pilgrims healed from their ailments in Brother André’s time. While the monumental staircase to the Basilica is being built on the outside, inside, escalators are installed to facilitate pilgrims’ movement to the higher levels.
Workers are busy installing the escalators around 1949. OSJ Archives, 98-3]
In the next article, we will see how the artistic design of the Votive Chapel was made. To be continued!
Sources
Over the years, the Oratory Museum has enriched its collections primarily through donations. In 2024, the sanctuary was fortunate to acquire a work by the renowned artist Miyuki Tanobe. A Japanese-born painter who has lived in Quebec since the early 1970s and the recipient of many prestigious awards, her work is displayed in Japan, Europe, and North America.
They are sometimes called spicilèges, but it would be more accurate to refer to them as clipping albums. These are typically large binders containing newspaper or magazine clippings on a specific theme. Unsurprisingly, the clipping albums preserved in the archives of the Oratory focus on the sanctuary, Brother André, or Saint Joseph.
It has often been said that Saint Brother André was ignorant and that he could barely read and write. The reality is more complex. While he left behind very few writings, aside from some postcards to family members, he could certainly sign his name, and the few books found in his room after his death demonstrate his interest in pious readings. The fingerprints he left on certain passages of these books and the numerous intimate witnesses of his life confirm this. But what books are we talking about? Let’s discover them together.