Mother House Chapel
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Its characteristics:
This chapel was built in 1935-1936 by the Architects W. E. Noffke and Lucien Leblanc and contractor Henri Dagenais.
The style is inspired by French Gothic Architecture, minus the rich ornamentation of the old gothic style.
The main characteristic of gothic architecture is the use of pointed arches and intersecting arches for the vault. The wooden curved ribs, the arcades between the pillars, the openings into the balcony, the large stained glass window in the sanctuary all terminate in a pointed arch.
The slanting of the roof is supported by curved joists; these rest on consoles set on short engaged columns, partly set into the walls.
There are triangles where the arches meet in the vault. The ceiling, the beams or the joists, the consoles are of solid oak.
There is only one group of intersecting arches on the ceiling, ending with a crown, (like praying hands) over the transept.
The others are found on the ceilings of the lateral naves’galleries.
The chapel is in the form of a latin cross. A long central nave and two lateral naves are intercepted by a transept leading to two lateral altars and into the sanctuary (apse ). The galleries above the lateral naves correspond to the fourth floor of the Mother House.
At the back of the chapel, are two superimposed galleries : the first, on the 3rd floor level, allows our Sisters confined to the infirmary to attend religious celebrations and spend long moments in silent prayer.
The second gallery is the organ loft. The organ, installed in April of 1945 for the Centennial celebrations, was built in a French style by Casavant Brothers of St. Hyacinth QC. The instrument was blessed on May 10, 1945 and inaugurated by well-known organist Paul Larose.
The organist is now Sr. Estelle Vaillancourt, s.c.o.
In 1992, the organ was totally dismantled, sent to the Casavant workshop for complete restoration... all of its 2386 pipes!
Originally, the walls were an imitation of sanded Caen stone, when the chapel was restored, these were painted in their natural ivory colour. Throughout the chapel, the tones are monochromic and soft.
The pews, pulpit and lecterns are of red oak.
Most of the statues in the lateral naves were in the old chapel and restored by Petrucci and Carli (Montreal).
Saint Amabilis
Saint Roch
Saint Louis
Saint Bernadette
Saint Theresa-of-the Child Jesus
Saint Anthony of Padua
Saint Anne
The stations of the Cross were in the old chapel; from there, they were dismantled, transferred into this chapel in new settings.
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14.The Statues at the back of the chapel : St Michael and the Gardian Angel
In the sanctuary, the decorations present a vertical outline (like an invitation to lift up our hearts to God).
The ornaments are sober and delicate in keeping with the religious inspiration that exudes from the chapel. This is probably the result of bringing together the gothic pointed arches and our community symbols: seal of the Congregation and the ivy.
The tops of the decorative niches with statues have a raised moulding with arches and acanthus leaves, whereas garlands of ivy follow the contour of the niches as well as the Cross above the altar.
The seal of the congregation can be found in several places in the chapel, such as, on each console. Decorative blocks can be seen along the edges of the pointed arches and ribs of the vault, in repetitive blocks: a heart, ivy leaf, a cross.
The golden wrought iron fence over the transept is topped by a cross with intertwining ivy.
In 1992, the chapel was completely restored, the workers, electrician, painters, artists, etc. insisted on inscribing their names in gold in the red hearts below the wrought iron fence.
The statues on the lateral altars (the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph), those of the sanctuary as well as the Calvary, as well as the stained glass window are all the work of Daprato of Chicago and date from 1937, except for the statues of the apostles (in pure plaster) which date from 1945.
Above the main altar stands a scene of Calvary. The statues of Christ on the cross, of Mary and of St. John are of marble. The statue of St. Marguerite d'Youville of imitation marble the work of Pierre Petrucci of Montreal, was installed October 15 1973.
The tabernacles and the three altars are of black marble.
When after Vatican II, Mass was to be celebrated facing the congregation, the central altar was added. Its supports come from the side sections of the communion rail.
The purpose of stained glass window in churches has always been for faith education, a way of discovering or deepening our understanding of the mysteries of salvation, sort of visual catechetics. It originated with Gothic architecture in the 12th century, at a time when the majority of the people were not literate.
The stained glass window in the sanctuary is a beautiful work of art representing the Ascension. At the top, the Holy Spirit appears in the form of a dove; God the Father appears in light above creation; the presence of the three persons of the Holy Trinity recalls our own spirituality which is essentially trinitarian. alpha and omega … liturgical alb … fleur de lys) In the lower section, the Apostles and Mary, the birth of the church, are protrayed in vivid tones of blue, green, red and amber.
At the bottom, the inscription reads: : "Non vos relinquan orphanos, vado et venio ad vos" (I will not leave you orphans. I am leaving but I shall come back to you -John 14: 18, 28). Jesus returns to heaven after having experienced death on a cross; that is the reason for the presence of the instruments of His Passion.
ln 1992, the window was totally dismantled, and sent to Desmarais Robitaille in Montreal for restoration since the wood had completely rotted.
The decoration at the top of the other windows consists in a series of coloured designs that harmonizes with those of the stained glass window in the sanctuary. The amber cathedral glass sheds a mysterious yet discrete glow throughout the chapel.
The Superior General who had this chapel built was Mother St. Bruno whose theme was: "A vision of truth is an expression of beauty and a feeling of beauty is truth". It is said of her that she was gifted with superior intelligence and an extremely sensitive soul.
It is in this chapel that the Sisters gather every morning to offer, in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the intentions, joys and sufferings of the world; that every morning and evening, the Sisters chant the Divine Office.
It is also in the prayerful atmosphere of this chapel that we celebrate professions, jubilees and funerals.
And, at any hour of the day, Sisters can be observed in silent prayer before the tabernacle where Jesus lives out His promise "to be with us always to the end of time" (Mt 28: 20).
ln 1984, it was in this chapel that His Holiness Pope John Paul II met with 115 Canadian bishops.
The seal of the Congregation can be found in the rotunda and in many places throughout the house; it was chosen by Mother Elisabeth Bruyère in 1852.
This is what it stands for:
1 - the cross recalls our motto "Long live Jesus and His Cross".;
2 - that we were known as the "Grey Nuns of the Cross" (from 1889, when our Constitutions were approved by Rome, until the General Chapter in 1968);
3 - the ivy intertwined about the Cross represents our weakness clinging to the tree of salvation;
4 - the heart represents our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
5 - the inscriptions designate the works entrusted to our Congregation : the care of the sick and the poor and the education of youth.
© Sisters of Charité of Ottawa
Last update:
3-07-2010