Saint-Patrick’s Basilica

Here is Saint Patrick’s Basilica, which, as you might expect, has deep historical ties to Montreal’s Irish community. In the 1830s, Canada saw a significant wave of Irish immigration, driven by the severe economic hardships Ireland was already facing at the time. The situation worsened in 1845 with the Great Famine—a devastating potato blight that wiped out the country’s main food source. This tragic episode led to the death of over a million Irish people from starvation and pushed another two million into exile. Mostly Catholic, the Irish were also seeking a place free from religious conflict—somewhere they could practice their faith in peace, far away from Protestants. In fact, the British government even encouraged immigration to Canada as a way of boosting its colonies. Between 1830 and 1850, hundreds of thousands of Irish crossed the Atlantic on overcrowded and perilous ships in search of a better life. Those who survived the journey and the mandatory quarantine settled in Canada and were able to start a new life for both themselves and the next generations. In Montreal, the Irish Catholic population grew so large that they decided to build their own church. They purchased a plot of land which, at the time, was located outside the city center, and began building the neo-Gothic structure you see before you. The very first mass was held on Saint Patrick’s Day on the 17th of March 1847. Years later, Pope John Paul II elevated this place to the status of a minor basilica. Today, it is officially a National Historic Site of Canada.