Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, Canada
Saint Joseph's Oratory is a Roman Catholic Basilica located on the northern slope of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The construction of the Saint Joseph's Oratory began in 1924 near the spot where Blessed André Bessette (beatified in 1982 by Pope John Paul II) built a small wooden chapel in 1904. The construction works were finished 1967.
Saint Joseph's Oratory is built in honor of Saint Joseph who is the patron saint of Canada. The Italian Renaissance design for the basilica was made by architects Dalbé Viau and Alphonse Venne. Oratory's copper dome is the second largest of the world after the St Peter's Basilica in Vatican, while the Oratory itself is the largest church in Canada. Inside Saint Joseph's Oratory is also a museum dedicated to Brother André Bessette which contains his embalmed heart.
