St. Patrick's Basilica (Ottawa)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St. Patrick's Basilica

St. Patrick's Basilica, located at 281 Nepean Street (at the corner of Nepean and Kent), is the oldest English-speaking Roman Catholic Church in Ottawa, Ontario.

The parish was founded in 1855. Originally, it was intended to serve not only the English-speaking Catholics of Ottawa, but also those of the City of Hull (now absorbed into Gatineau) across the Ottawa River in Quebec as well. These were mostly of Irish descent; thus the parish was dedicated to St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Design for the present church building started in 1866 under the direction of architect Augustus Laver. Laver's firm, Fuller and Laver, also designed the East and West blocks of Ottawa's Parliament Buildings. In 1872, the cornerstone was blessed by Bishop Guigues (the first Bishop of Ottawa), and was laid by Sir John A. Macdonald (the first Prime Minister of Canada). In 1875 the building, not quite complete, was blessed by Bishop Guigues' successor, Bishop Duhamel.

The building is Gothic style and features a carved and stencilled ceiling, marble Altar of Repose (old main altar in the Tridentine rite) and side Altars, and oak pews.

The Church was elevated to Basilica status on St. Patrick's Day, 1995.

The building seats about 1000.

The current Rector is Msgr. Robert Martineau.