In 1967, the Oratory organized a Canadian first: the International Organ Festival. The 1967 International Organ Festival can be seen as the seed of the Concerts Spirituels. This series of organ concerts, which ran from 1971 to 2001, featured both Quebecois organists and internationally renowned artists. Today, the great tradition of the organ still exists at the Oratory, embodied by Vincent Boucher.

Pope Francis has placed the Jubilee Year 2025 under the sign of hope. He invites all followers of Christ to be pilgrims of hope in a living, personal and communal encounter with Christ, “our hope” (cf. 1 Tim 1:1) and “door of salvation” (cf. Jn 10:7.9).

St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal is part of this ecclesial dynamic, and has chosen “With Joseph, let us walk in hope” as the theme for the 2025 novena.

For the 2025 Novena to Saint Joseph, we continue our little story of the votive chapel.