My late aunt, whom I considered my second mom, finally agreed to travel back to Canada a year before she was diagnosed with a serious illness (and sadly, she passed away the following year).
Her very first trip to Canada was with me, many years ago, when I was still living in Manila. We visited my other aunt in Vancouver and did a side trip to Portland, Oregon that time. It took almost a decade, long after I had moved to Canada for good, to persuade her to travel again (She was not a fan of long-haul flights).
My aunt flew to Vancouver where my other aunt and uncle still lived with my cousins. My brother drove from Los Angeles with his family and I flew from Ottawa. We had a mini-family reunion there for a week, after which, I took her with me to Ottawa for a week in the East Coast with my husband, our son, and my husband’s family in Montreal. Then, she spent one more week in Vancouver, this time with just my other aunt and uncle for some sibling time.
Since my aunt was a very religious person, we tailored her Ottawa-Montreal-Quebec City tour around churches and religious shrines, with the usual tourist attractions on the side, of course. I told her that since East Coast Canada is relatively older than the West Coast provinces (in terms of Western settlement, that is), it has a number of older churches that date back to the 16th century and are characterized by Old World architecture, unlike most of the modern-style churches we see in West Coast Canada.
Saint Patrick's Basilica
In Ottawa, we took her to Saint Patrick’s Basilica in downtown. It is the first English-speaking Roman Catholic parish in the original city founded in 1855. Most of the English-speaking Catholics in those days were of Irish descent, thus they named it after Ireland’s patron saint.
The church was completed in 1875 and was declared a basilica on Saint Patrick’s Day in March 1995. (A basilica is any church named highly important by the pope based on its historical or cultural importance, its art or beauty, its significance in the liturgical life of the Church or a variety of these attributes.) It was constructed from local stone and designed in the Gothic Revival style, which makes it stand out from the modern office buildings that surround it. And when you step inside, you’d forget that you’re in downtown Ottawa. The interior features a carved, stencilled ceiling and stained-glass windows. There is a marble altar, a raised marble pulpit, hand-painted murals of religious figures, a set of bas-relief Stations of the Cross, and solid oak pews. The atmosphere inside reminded us of European churches.
Here, we were able to attend a High Mass (a Catholic Mass in full ceremonial form with most parts sung accompanied by organ music). It was beautiful.
Afterwards, we did a short tour of the church. Behind the altar is a small chapel dedicated to Saint Patrick. At the church foyer is a huge memorial plaque on the wall that commemorates parishioners who died in the First and Second World Wars. Their names are written in beautiful calligraphy, and if I am not mistaken, it is believed that the writing was done by no less than A.J. Casson from The Group of Seven (renowned Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933).
Then, we took the stairs down to basement of the church where a Grotto in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes was installed. This area is sometimes used for Masses and special prayers. There is also a small bookstore that sells religious books and religious articles.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Not to be missed is the Notre-Dame Cathedral, a Roman Catholic minor basilica, and Ottawa’s oldest and largest church. Located in the Lower Town neighbourhood in downtown, close to the Byward Market and Parliament Hill, it is easily identifiable from afar by its twin spires covered in tin and its gilded Madonna on top of its roof. The church prides itself in being a product of local architects and sculptors, whose profound faith are exemplified in the majesty and sacred character of its interior.
Inside, there is a long, narrow central nave lined with imposing Gothic arches and terraced galleries that leads to the sanctuary rich with Gothic ornamentation, mostly statues and wood carvings of religious figures. It also features a series of stained-glass windows, two side altars that are equally ornate, and a pipe organ. But for me, its most distinguishing feature is the brilliant jewel-like polychrome painting of its interior – heavenly blue dotted with golden stars that almost-mimics heaven.
This church is the Seat of the city’s Archbishop and Masses are held both in English and French (and certain Masses are bilingual). On the day and time of our visit, we were able to attend service in English, and by coincidence, it was officiated by this Monsignor who says Mass in our parish church once a month. He recognized me because that time I served as a Eucharistic Minister in our church and I was often on duty when he would visit. I introduced him to my aunt and we chatted for a bit before we left to check out the Archbishop’s Palace on its north side.
Across the street outside, you will see the National Art Gallery "guarded" by a giant bronze spider sculpture. This art work called, "Maman," was created by Canadian sculptor, Louise Bourgeois, who is known for her arachnid theme.
I mentioned to my aunt an interesting irony that I remember hearing from a local tour guide years ago. He said that some superstitious locals hesitate to get married at the Notre-Dame because the first thing that you'd see when you march out from church is a giant Black Widow spider. I am not sure how true this was, or if this was just a tale concocted to elicit laughter from tourists.
What I know is that the artist's inspiration for her sculptures is her own mother and her childhood memories of spending time in her parents' tapestry restoration workshop in France. The recurrent association with textiles and weaving (and spiders) reflects this. She also sees spiders as symbols of nurturing, protection, fertility, shelter, and the home.
So, for would-be brides out there, I would say, think of the spider as a nudge to a future calling for motherhood, and not an inkling for biting their spouses to death. Hahaha!
Photo Credits:
Wikipedia Creative Commons - John Talbot, Saint Patrick Basilica Ottawa website, Expedia.ca
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