Saint Joseph's Oratory

North America's largest shrine
Noteworthy for: Saint Joseph's Oratory has 283 steps, of which pilgrims climb 99 on their knees to show their sincerity.

Talk of the town: Saint André healed so many people that there is a room in the Oratory filled with abandoned crutches. The Oratory still distributes bottles of the sacred oil he used.
Saint-Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal is the largest church in Canada, and is one of the largest shrines in the world devoted to a saint. Built by Saint André Bessette, a Roman Catholic priest famed for his healing miracles, which he attributed to Saint Joseph, this Art Nouveau style church retains a repute for healing that attracts pilgrims from around the world.

The Oratory's most outstanding feature is its magnificent Renaissance-style dome, the third-largest in the world after Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City and the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in the Ivory Coast. While admission to the Oratory is free, consider picking up a self-guided tour booklet for CAD 2 or paying CAD 4 for admission to its collection of religious art.