Being that it was a Sunday, I felt it was a good day to go church exploring. Quebec has some of the grandest churches in all of Canada and I was eager to seek them out. The first church on my list was the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, a massive architectural masterpiece just outside of Quebec City.
I arrived on scene bright and early, walking up the steps to the heavy doors where I entered the towering cathedral. Upon entering I was immediately in awe at the intricate artwork that adorned the walls and ceiling. To think of the amount of time and skill that went into creating such a marvel was astounding.
I took my time walking around, admiring the incredible artwork for hours. I even sat in on a catholic service they had despite being able to hardly understand the french. Having spent quite some time in the cathedral, it came time to say goodbye and see what else I could find.
The church exploring took me through Quebec and into Montreal. I was amazed at how many catholic churches found their home in the cities. I’d found out from a local that 40+ years ago the church buildings were packed as much of the population was catholic.
With the declining congregations, now the numerous cathedrals had become relics of a time passed, a look into the days when Catholicism dominated the land.
There was one more church I simply had to see that sat high on a hill in the heart of Montreal, Saint Joseph’s Oratory. As I drove through the city I could see the massive building in the distance, a towering landmark that was hard to miss.
At last I’d reached the entrance and walked inside to explore. I meandered throughout the halls, passing intricate stained glass murals and detailed carvings that decorated the surroundings.
Eventually I found the basilica, the main auditorium of the cathedral. The ceiling must have been well over 100 feet tall! The grand and enormous area made me think of what it might be like to approach God, feeling tiny and insignificant in his presence.
The sun was setting so I did the last of my exploring and returned to my car. I couldn’t figure out what to do next. I had a lot of ground to cover on my return west and I wanted to spent a few days with family in Brantford as I was passing through. Because of this I decided to leave Montreal and begin the drive to Brantford. I managed to get a good ways outside of the city before fatigue was becoming to great to ignore. I pulled off the highway and found a quiet place to doze off in the car, my mind still in awe as I fell asleep at last.
