Saint-Jacques Cathedral (Montreal)
Encyclopedia
Saint-Jacques Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Jacques) was the cathedral
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Montreal
from 1825 to 1852, named for St. James the Greater.
Built at the corner of Saint-Denis and Sainte-Catherine streets, it was the city's first purpose-built cathedral. Its construction started in 1822 and its cornerstone was blessed on May 22, 1823. It was consecrated on September 22, 1825. The cathedral and the diocesan building were destroyed by fire on July 9, 1852, along with 1,200 other buildings.
At this point the diocese moved temporarily to the nearby chapel of the Sisters of Providence, before finally moving to a chapel on the current site of Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral
, built in 1894, which was for a time also dedicated to St. James.
The church was rebuilt by architect John Ostell
for the Sulpician order as a parish church, and consecrated in 1857. It burned down the next year. It was rebuilt by Victor Bourgeau by 1860, with an 85-metre spire added in 1876, a golden weathervane in 1905, and a transept in 1889. It was burned out yet again in 1933.
The patched-together building was purchased in 1973 by the Université du Québec à Montréal
, and was demolished except for the spire and transept, classified as historic monuments. They were integrated into the university's Pavillon Judith-Jasmin.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Montreal
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montréal is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Quebec. The Archbishop of Montréal is Metropolitan of a province that includes the suffragan dioceses of Joliette, Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Saint-Jérôme, and Valleyfield...
from 1825 to 1852, named for St. James the Greater.
Built at the corner of Saint-Denis and Sainte-Catherine streets, it was the city's first purpose-built cathedral. Its construction started in 1822 and its cornerstone was blessed on May 22, 1823. It was consecrated on September 22, 1825. The cathedral and the diocesan building were destroyed by fire on July 9, 1852, along with 1,200 other buildings.
At this point the diocese moved temporarily to the nearby chapel of the Sisters of Providence, before finally moving to a chapel on the current site of Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral
Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral
The Cathedral-Basilica of Mary, Queen of the World in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Montreal. It is the third largest church in Quebec after St. Joseph's Oratory and the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré east of Quebec City...
, built in 1894, which was for a time also dedicated to St. James.
The church was rebuilt by architect John Ostell
John Ostell
John Ostell architect, surveyor and manufacturer, was born in London, England and emigrated to Canada in 1834, where he apprenticed himself to a Montreal surveyor André Trudeau to learn French methods of surveying. In 1837 he married Eleonore Gauvin a member of a prominent French Catholic family...
for the Sulpician order as a parish church, and consecrated in 1857. It burned down the next year. It was rebuilt by Victor Bourgeau by 1860, with an 85-metre spire added in 1876, a golden weathervane in 1905, and a transept in 1889. It was burned out yet again in 1933.
The patched-together building was purchased in 1973 by the Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
, and was demolished except for the spire and transept, classified as historic monuments. They were integrated into the university's Pavillon Judith-Jasmin.