Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time), by using the blue link-up button below.
Churches on Ste-Catherine Street E. – Downtown Montréal
Ste-Catherine street is the main tourist and shopping destination in downtown Montréal. The part west of Boulevard St. Laurent is where all the interesting stuff starts.
The eastern part has traditionally been less glamorous and somewhat grittier.
On a recent visit to that part of downtown we decided to head east and stumbled upon a few old churches that had totally slipped from my memory.
Église Unie St-Jean (St. John’s United Church) is one of the city’s rare French language Protestant churches that has been serving its community since 1841.
Without my wide angle lens it was impossible to get a shot the entire building from the sidewalk. Parked vehicles on both sides of the street made crossing the street to try from there well…pointless.
The building and the main door could use some TLC, but I did like the way the door is cut into the corner of the building.
Heading further east we found this little gem: Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Chapel
Built between 1873 and 1882 this Catholic church sits on the edge of the city’s Latin Quarter.
The main exterior feature is its nine-foot tall bronze statue of the Virgin Mary covered in gold leaf. If was originally installed in 1904 and lovingly restored exactly 100 years later.
With the late morning sun glowing off her back, she sure is a sight to behold.
I’ve been in this building a few times some years ago, and wanted to go in again to capture some of the beauty of the interior but alas, it was not open to the public on the Monday morning when we were there – perhaps another visit is in order.
As always, thanks so much for dropping by 🙂
Want to join in on the fun and share your own Thursday Doors post with other door lovers? Click on the blue button below to add the link to your Thursday Doors post to our link-up list.
Don’t forget that if you share your blog posts on Twitter and Instagram, use the #ThursdayDoors hashtag to help others find you, and please do take a few minutes to visit some of the Thursday Door posts shared by others.
This is a quaint and old fashioned church which shows true beauty in its age and character, Norm. This was pretty, a light greenish blue like “robins egg blue.” 😉
The corner door was a great photo taken of the street, too! Not many door photos have the location so visible and close in proximity to the street.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s magnificent! I love the gold leaf Mary on top, and the doors, and stone. I bet it’s just gorgeous inside too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry for the tardy reply Deborah. I will go back at some point to capture the inside of these two places 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stunning architecture. I love the color of the doors on Saint Jean, it’s super retro and utterly hip for a church.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Joey – sorry for the delay.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What wonderful buildings! I wonder why doors cut into the corners of buildings make me so happy? I don’t know, but they do. Thanks for sharing a particularly beautiful one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the kind words 🙂
LikeLike
Wow!! Even though the door and building of St. John’s could use some TLC, I have a penchant for the weather worn look (even though it isn’t the best thing for it long term). I find it fascinating that all other churches I’ve seen with Notre Dame in the name have a very similar architectural style to the one in Paris. I’m sure this is all done intentionally, but I find it fascinating nonetheless. The Virgin Mary statue is definitely a beautiful sight in that sun. Great finds! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Amy 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That catholic church is beautiful. I would hate to be the person to go up there to restore the Virgin Mary. That first church’s door is neat.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. I certainly hope they used a crane to bring the statue down to work on it on the ground 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always such beauty in old doors. Thank you, Norm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the kind words 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, Norm. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a couple of gems alright, especially the whole second church. Those Catholics… gotta hand it to them. They sure nail their churches.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes those darn Catholics sure are dedicated to building pretty churches 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
For Mary to be so tall on top of the building, she must be really tall when on eye-level! By the way love the view in your third capture! Can see on the snow in the street that it has been laying there for a while! Thanks for thinking about Thurs. doors even when you’re t in M. for other reasons!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
I like the way you caught the icy steps sparkling in the sun. Beautiful but looks a bit slick.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jan. Yes indeed the footing can be tricky at times.
LikeLike
Our Lady looks stunning!
LikeLiked by 1 person
She sure does. They polished her up really nicely 🙂
LikeLike
Every time I see your Montreal doors, I want to go there. I keep telling my husband Montreal needs to be our next vacation place!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Carrie. There’s certainly no shortage of things to see and do, especially in the summer with all the festivals. Add a side trip over to Quebec City or Ottawa for a few days and you could easily fill a 10-14 day trip.
LikeLike
Yes, yes, yes! This summer is committed, but I’m going push for 2019. I’ll drag him there if I have to. All I’ll have to do is tell him about all the great restaurants. He loves to plan out the meals when we travel. 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love it when the sky participates nicely in a photo. These are beautiful! I need to get back to Montreal one of these days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed Jeanette the sky was very co-operative this day 😀
LikeLike
Tres jolie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merci mon ami 😉
LikeLike
I think I’ve mentioned before, Norm, that my favorite doors are ones that are in the angled corner of a building. I really like that first door, even if it does need some love. The tall and narrow look of the Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Chapel is stunning. Great photo and wonderful doors.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Dan. Great minds think alike: corner doors are a fave of mine too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They just seem more welcoming. It’s like “we gave up this space so you could enter.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s always good to have something make a revisit necessary!
Some great doors here as always and I love your wide shots (bins apart) that set the full scene.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed, sometimes it is good to have an excuse to go back 🙂
That darn recycling bin!!! I even thought of moving it for my shot but I decided not to touch it what with the snow and all.
I’ll swing by to have a look at your post a bit later. I’m still making the rounds of the ones on the link-up list first.
LikeLike
A pair of beauties, Norm. I think each would put you in just the right mood for church each time you attended.
janet
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Janet. I totally agree 🙂
LikeLike
That green in the first photo is a particularly lovely mild shade. It’s weathering that’s produced that shade, isn’t it? I would be surprised if you could get a beautiful colour like that out of a can.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes that first one is very weathered indeed. In fact it could use a good sanding and a fresh coat of paint, but at the same time it’s hard not to admire how nicely it has aged 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Chapel is especially lovely. I applaud the craftsmen in creating something that still catches our eye with its outstanding architecture.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a beauty. Thanks Judy 🙂
LikeLike
What strikes me the most about Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes is that it has the appearance of being a building with 3 floors – which would make it highly unusual for a church. Does it in fact just have really high vaulted ceilings inside?
Quebec churches are just the best!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for noticing this Joanne. Yes the vaulted ceilings are spectacular. You’ll see some good shots if you look it up online.
In the front portion the extra height is to accommodate the pipe organ. This chapel actually has the Casavant Freres, OPUS #1 – the very first organ they made in 1879.
LikeLike
I love a good pipe organ. It’s worth attending a mass just to hear the music!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That first door is particularly beautiful
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person