History

To speak of the history of the Diocese of Montreal is to speak of heritage, of the handing on of the faith in a new colony. This history must be linked to that of the colony of New France and to the founding of Ville-Marie, since it was on these lands and with these settlers that the Church in Montreal was born.

Our founding

First Bishop of Montreal — Bishop Jean-Jacques Lartigue
When the Diocese of Montreal was created in 1836, Bishop Jean-Jacques Lartigue became its first titular bishop, after long and painful difficulties arising from the stormy relations he had with his fellow Sulpicians. He knew the diocese entrusted to him thoroughly, having served since 1820 as auxiliary bishop and vicar general for the district of Montreal, suffragan to the Bishop of Quebec, Bishop Plessis. He is remembered for his interest in education and for the wisdom he showed during the political turmoil of 1837-1838.
1836 – Signing of the bull establishing the diocese by Pope Gregory XVI.

Second Bishop of Montreal — Bishop Ignace Bourget
Bishop Ignace Bourget’s pastoral work unfolded in a social, cultural and political context that was constantly in ferment. He invited to the country several religious communities (of men and women) active in Europe and supported four women’s religious communities founded here. He established major charitable works such as the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and took part in founding the Banque de la Cité et du District de Montréal (now Laurentian Bank) to promote the economic well-being of workers. He was an ardent promoter of lay involvement.
Arrival of religious communities:
- 1841 Arrival of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate
- 1844 Arrival of the Religious of the Sacred Heart
- 1847 Arrival of the Fathers, Brothers and Sisters of Holy Cross
- 1865 Arrival of the Brothers of Charity
- 1875 Arrival of the Carmelites
- 1875 Arrival of the White Fathers of Africa
Religious communities founded here:
- 1843 Sisters of Providence (Émilie Gamelin)
- 1843 Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (Eulalie Durocher)
- 1848 Sisters of Misericordia (Rosalie Cadron-Jetté)
- 1848 Sisters of Saint Anne (Esther Blondin)
Key events:
- 1840 The Sulpicians are entrusted with the formation of the clergy
- 1841 Launch of “Mélanges religieux,” which would become the “Semaine Religieuse” (and later “Vivre en Église”)
- 1847 Establishment of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society
- 1870 Laying of the cornerstone of the future Cathedral of Montreal

Third Bishop and First Archbishop of Montreal — Archbishop Édouard-Charles Fabre
Early in his ministry, Archbishop Fabre showed a lively mind, a gift for oratory and great composure. Without an auxiliary bishop, he ordained 210 priests for his diocese and 820 others for Canadian or American dioceses, all trained at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal. During an economic crisis, he came to the aid first of poor parishes and then of the unemployed, organizing a collection throughout the diocese and promoting settlement of new regions together with Father Labelle. In 1889, he obtained from Rome that the Université de Montréal become almost independent of Université Laval.
Arrival of religious communities:
- 1881 The Trappists
- 1884 The Redemptorists
- 1886 The Marist Brothers, the Brothers of Christian Instruction
- 1887 The Little Sisters of the Poor
- 1888 The Brothers of Saint Gabriel
- 1890 The Fathers of the Blessed Sacrament, the Montfort Missionaries
- 1894 The Montfort Missionaries, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart

Fourth Bishop and Second Archbishop of Montreal — Archbishop Paul Bruchési
- 1922-1939 Coadjutor Bishop Georges Gauthier
- 1939-1940 Fifth Bishop and Third Archbishop of Montreal, Archbishop Georges Gauthier
Archbishop Paul Bruchési
Archbishop Paul Bruchési was known for his keen intelligence, his open-mindedness, his eloquence and his love of the Church. He established 63 parishes and published several pastoral letters and mandements, notably on justice, the labour question, peace and marriage.
- 1904 Founding of Saint Joseph’s Oratory
- 1910 20th International Eucharistic Congress
- 1919 Autonomous status for the Université de Montréal, ad experimentum
Fifth Bishop and Third Archbishop of Montreal — Archbishop Georges Gauthier
Archbishop Gauthier’s episcopate was very brief (one year). Having served as Archbishop Bruchési’s coadjutor for 18 years, he knew the diocese well and proved to be a pastor of great wisdom with an exceptional gift for oratory. He took an interest in the education of young women. Between 1920 and 1923, as rector of the Université de Montréal, he established a Faculty of Arts, a Faculty of Science and the School of Social, Economic and Political Sciences. On the social level, he was one of the first promoters of Catholic trade unionism. During his episcopate, he created 37 parishes, welcomed 17 religious communities and canonically erected four.
- 1924 Final independence of the Université de Montréal
- 1927 Collège André-Grasset
- 1929 Externat classique Sainte-Croix
Religious communities founded here:
- 1923 Sisters of Our Lady of Good Counsel
- 1925 Society of Foreign Missions (Société des Missions-Étrangères)
- 1929 Franciscan Oblates of Saint Joseph
- 1929 Daughters of Reparation of the Divine Heart

Sixth Bishop and Fourth Archbishop of Montreal — Archbishop Joseph Charbonneau
Archbishop Charbonneau’s episcopate opened the second century of our diocese’s history. He wrote a major document on Catholic Action in which he expressed his confidence in young people and the laity. In 1941, he conferred episcopal ordination on Bishop Lawrence Patrick Whelan, who became the first English-speaking bishop of the diocesan curia of Montreal. He founded the Œuvre des vocations and took a special interest in teacher training as well as in the family, the little ones and the poor. It was during the famous asbestos strike (1949) that he best showed his attachment to workers. His surprise resignation, requested by the Vatican in 1950, brought a premature end to the episcopate of this pastor beloved by his priests and faithful.
- 1940 Opening of the School of Social Work, Université de Montréal
- 1941 École normale secondaire (teacher-training school)
- 1943 Founding of the Œuvre des vocations
- 1949 Intervention on behalf of the asbestos workers

Seventh Bishop and Fifth Archbishop of Montreal — Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger
In 1950, Archbishop Léger became Archbishop of Montreal. A flamboyant and prolific figure, he created the radio program “Le chapelet en famille” (The Family Rosary) and founded the Foyer de charité and the Saint-Charles-Borromée Hospital. From 1952, he established diocesan bodies such as the Diocesan Bible Course Service and the Inquiry Forum (today the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism). In December 1953, he convened a diocesan synod. The following years were marked by the Great Mission (1960) and the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). In November 1967, he announced his resignation and became a missionary in Cameroon. His presence in the Church and in society found expression in more than 5,000 addresses, homilies and speeches delivered in the most varied settings.
- 1950 “Le chapelet en famille” (The Family Rosary)
- 1951 Founding of the Foyer de charité
- 1955 Saint-Charles-Borromée Hospital
- 1951 Diocesan Bible Course Service
- 1963 Canadian Centre for Ecumenism

Eighth Bishop and Sixth Archbishop of Montreal — Cardinal Paul Grégoire
Archbishop Paul Grégoire became Archbishop of Montreal shortly after the resignation of Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger. His episcopate was marked by the implementation of the Second Vatican Council in a society in the midst of the Quiet Revolution. He structured the diocesan curia: he was the man of major diocesan pastoral projects and of sacramental renewal. We owe him: training sessions for priests (the Rome Program); the Permanent Diaconate Service; and the creation of the Maison du Père, the Missionary Pastoral Service and the Diocesan Committee on the Status of Women.
- 1968 Creation of the Diocesan Catechumenate
- 1969 Creation of the Presbyteral Council
- 1971 Creation of the Bishop’s Executive, which became the Episcopal Council
- 1972 Creation of the Pastoral Council
- 1975 Creation of the Council of Religious
- 1976 Appointment of the first episcopal vicars
- 1980 Creation of the Office of the Family
- 1981 Résidence Ignace-Bourget

Religious heritage

Montreal, city of a hundred steeples

This expression is attributed to the American writer Mark Twain, who used it to describe Montreal during his first visit to the city in 1888. He declared: “This is the first time I was ever in a city where you couldn’t throw a brick without breaking a church window.” The Archdiocese of Montreal has 207 churches today.

Among them are many heritage churches throughout its territory that you can discover, whether old or modern. Five (5) churches have been designated National Historic Sites of Canada. Fifteen (15) churches have protected status under Quebec’s Cultural Heritage Act. Finally, two (2) churches have been cited by the municipality under the powers granted to it by that same Act.

In the past, cities and their neighbourhoods grew up around churches. The churches are still there today, witnesses to our living heritage. They are places where people gather to celebrate, commemorate, believe and say farewell, but also places of rest where one can come into the presence of God. From a heritage perspective, we often say that the steeple serves as a landmark, but it is more than that: it is like a lighthouse in the City that shows us the Way.

We are fortunate to be the custodians of an extraordinary heritage: the visible presence of the Church of Jesus Christ in the City. It is to serve this visibility that we work. These are not just stones; preserving this heritage allows us to provide a roof for the Gospel and for the community, and to work at handing on the faith.

Heritage also leads to religious tourism, which responds to the desire to discover, to learn, to meet others and to contemplate what is beautiful. “Tourism is a value in itself, and not a mere act of consumption,” wrote John Paul II. Benedict XVI also said: “The way of beauty is a path to God.”