Participating in the pastoral life of Saint-Joseph’s Oratory means celebrating one’s faith by going out to meet others.
Pastoral life at Saint Joseph's Oratory
Work of the pilgrimage of the sickA mission of presence and support, inherited from Saint Brother André. The work of the pilgrimage of the sick offers a warm welcome and personalized support to sick, suffering, and/or elderly individuals visiting the sanctuary, particularly those with reduced mobility.
The traditional “Mass for the Sick”, celebrated every Wednesday at 2 p.m. is an important gathering of the week. All are welcome. The team also organizes activities throughout the year.
Information and blessing officeThe blessing of religious objects and the individuals who use them can be done at this office.
Visitors can also make donations, Mass offerings, subscribe to THE ORATORY magazine and find information brochures about Saint Joseph’s Oratory and its founder, Saint Brother André. The office is located on level 4, near the Votive Chapel.
Monday to Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Counselling officeThe Counseling Office offers a listening and support service. This service is provided by religious and lay pastoral agents. The office is also located on level 4, near the Votive Chapel.
Every day, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wedding preparation sessionsThe Oratory offers a marriage preparation service where future brides and grooms are invited to reflect on their relationship in preparation for the big day. The session is offered over an intensive weekend in the company of a team of facilitators and a priest. A commitment, a covenant, a life.
The Marriage Preparation Service is currently offered in French only.
Congregation of Holy CrossFounded in Le Mans, France, in 1837 by Blessed Basile Moreau, the Congregation of Holy Cross began to spread to other countries in 1841. Today, the religious of Holy Cross number more than 1600. They work in several countries on four continents: Africa, America, Asia and Europe. The religious, priests and brothers and sisters are members of a Catholic religious congregation that works in education, parishes and various other sectors of society, depending on the country where they are located.
THE GREAT SAINT
OF EVERYDAY LIFE
Joseph can be presented as the saint of daily life, whom one turns to for small concerns as well as during decisive moments in life. Saint Brother André had boundless trust in Saint Joseph, his friend and guide. His dream was to build a chapel for him on Mount Royal; an oratory to pray to him.
Crowds quickly flocked to this place. At Brother André’s recommendation, Saint Joseph is invoked as the “one who does not let anyone fall along the way.” Traditionally, Saint Joseph is entrusted with matters related to family, work, health, death, and material needs. Saint Joseph’ Oratory of Mount Royal, founded in 1904, is the largest shrine in the world dedicated to him.
Nine days and a feast dedicated to Saint Joseph. A highlight of the year at the Oratory.
Saint-Joseph oil is not a remedy, much less a magical rite. It must first be seen as an act of faith.
Inspired by a devotion that was already practiced in France, Brother André would take oil from a lamp burning in front of a statue of Saint Joseph. He recommended to the sick that they rub their suffering bodies with this oil and pray to Saint Joseph for their healing.
This tradition continues at Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal. A basin of vegetable oil placed in front of a statue of Saint Joseph contains a flame that burns day and night. This oil is bottled and available at the gift shop.
A FRIEND, A BROTHER,
A SAINT
Brother André, born Alfred Bessette, remains undoubtedly one of the most popular Quebecers of the 20 th century. Long before he was canonized in 2010, Brother André’s reputation for holiness had crossed borders and marked generations.
Initially a porter at Collège Notre-Dame and then the guardian of the place of prayer that developed on Mount Royal, the religious brother welcomed thousands of suffering or hopeful people. He listened to them, recommending that they pray to Saint Joseph, in whom he placed all his trust.
Many miraculous healings have occurred, and hearts have opened to God. Today, Saint Brother André continues to be an inspiration and a friend to women and men of all religions.
Canadian bishops bestowed the title of Patron Saint of Family Caregivers on Saint Brother André in Canada on September 30, 2016. This devotion title recalls the strong connection he has with sick individuals as well as those who dedicate themselves daily to their well-being.
It took no fewer than seventy years for the cause of the canonization of Brother André, founder of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, to reach its successful conclusion. Brother André, born Alfred Bessette, was officially declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, 2010.
When he passed away on January 6, 1937, at the age of 91, there was no doubt in people’s mind that the religious brother was a saint. Over a million people attended his funeral rites in Montreal to pay him a final tribute. The little brother who had done so much good was the object of an unparalleled shared outpouring of affection, attesting to the utterly boundless love so many felt for him. People wanted to do more however to ensure that his saintliness would receive proper recognition and be held up as a model for the universal Church.
An act of faith, reverence and affection
The veneration of relics is ancient. It is an act of love towards a person whose holiness is recognized by the Church, an act of homage lived in faith. In this spirit, a reliquary of Saint Brother André was created following his canonization.
Christian communities can receive it and invite their parishioners to perform acts of veneration towards it. Wherever it goes, the reliquary gathers large and reverent crowds. This enthusiasm well expresses people’s affection for Saint Brother André.
ADORATION
OF THE BLESSED
SACRAMENT
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a deeply personal act of devotion, in which each person expresses their faith in their own way. Many hymns and prayers have been dedicated to it. Among there, we offer you the text of the famous Panis Angelicus one of the liturgical hymns written by Saint Thomas Aquinas for the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament (also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ).
Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(Silent Adoration in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, within the Basilica)
