Three Churches in Montreal

Montreal is a great city. One of the many things it is known for is its churches and cathedrals.

One of the most beautiful is Notre Dame Basilica, which is nothing like the Notre Dame in Paris, but from photos I have seen, it is very beautiful inside. I can only talk about photos because refused to go inside, though. Why? They charge a five-dollar fee to visit the church. Apparently there is a ten-dollar light show you can attend, too.

Celine Dion had her fairy-tale wedding in this church. I wonder if this has anything to do with the charge for entry. Like any celebrity, fans often flock to anything that has to do with their idol.

Of course they have to raise money for maintenance and reconstruction, but it is a church, not a museum or a place of entertainment. In my opinion, there should never be an admission to a place of worship. To the secular world, charging an entry fee doesn’t seem so drastic. But God usually doesn’t make sense to a secular world. Why? Probably because people in the secular world are too busy trying to define God instead of letting him define them. Teachings like loving your enemy are difficult for everyone, yet a clear element of the Christian message.

Contrast Notre Dame with Marie-Reine-du-Monde. It is designed to be one-third the size and similar to St. Peter’s in Rome. There is no entry fee. What is even more impressive are the two signs, one in English, the other in French, at the door. They advise people who are visiting that they are entering a place of worship and to act and dress accordingly, especially during worship services. I only had a chance for a quick glimpse inside. My guess is that there is a box for donations.

The third is St. Joseph’s Oratory. It has the world’s second largest dome. St. Peter’s in Rome is the first. It is an impressive building. What was even more impressive was the reception we got. We arrived just as it was closing. Since there are many stairs leading up to the church, they provide a bus. The cost of the bus is by donation. Nobody prompts you to give.

When we hopped on, the driver got on the walkie-talkie and asked if the building could be kept open for a few more minutes so we could visit. We thought the other people on the bus were going up, too. They weren’t. They were waiting to go down, but they seemed to be all associated with the church. They sat in the bus chatting with great animation about a special service that was happening the next night. They mentioned it to us and invited us.

Here are my questions. Which church is merely a tourist attraction and which ones are functioning like places of worship? Which churches opened their arms to the public? Which ones are fulfilling the Christian message? From my brief exposure, I can’t say for sure, but I think I have a pretty good idea.

Of course, there are some who would take me to task for passing judgement on the three churches, but let’s put it this way. If I were to live in Montreal, I think it is a safe bet which church I wouldn’t be trying first as my spiritual home.