St. Joseph’s Oratory, one of Montreal’s most iconic landmarks and a revered Catholic shrine, is facing an unexpected challenge: a surge of trespassers, often young thrill-seekers, attempting to scale its massive dome and cross.
Since last summer, the oratory has dealt with a steady stream of urban explorers breaking into the site, drawn by the allure of climbing the 97-meter-high cross atop the dome. Céline Barbeau, a spokesperson for the oratory, said the trend has escalated, with trespassers now attempting to enter the site almost every weekend, likely inspired by social media posts from other climbers.
“It’s one of the iconic monuments of Montreal,” Barbeau said. “The oratory is the highest point in the city. It’s a heritage building that everyone knows. So to climb this dome … and even manage to go up the cross, I think it’s just an act of daring.”
St. Joseph’s Oratory, located on the slope of Mount Royal, is a popular pilgrimage site. Visitors often climb the 99 wooden steps to the church on their knees as an act of devotion. The basilica, whose construction began in 1924, features one of the largest domes in the world, with its cross consecrated in 1941.
However, the site’s historical and spiritual significance has not deterred trespassers. Last weekend, a group of teenagers broke into the oratory, damaging several doors and stealing a security camera as they made their way to the organ loft. While the organ itself was unharmed, the incident marked the first time trespassers had taken this route, prompting oratory staff to speak out publicly.
“We thought maybe it’s time to make people aware of the danger that this represents,” Barbeau said. “It seems that they don’t realize they are putting their life in danger.”
Barbeau emphasized that a fall from the cross would likely be fatal. She also noted that trespassing is a criminal act, and the church has repeatedly had to repair damaged doors. “It’s time to stop this, and stop taking unnecessary risks,” she said.
Montreal police arrested a 14-year-old and two 15-year-olds at the oratory on Saturday evening and are searching for three others who escaped. Despite 24-hour security guards and surveillance cameras, the vast size of the site makes it difficult to prevent all intrusions.
Photos and videos of successful climbs have been widely shared on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, further fueling the trend. A recent video posted during a snowstorm showed three individuals clinging to the cross, with one filming using a selfie stick.
A former urban explorer, who goes by the name Felixshots and climbed the oratory in 2019, told The Canadian Press that the hobby has been degraded by the rise of social media. “The explorers of my day had a mindset of ‘Leave nothing but footprints,’” he said. “The vision of the hobby was based on respect for places and other people’s property.”
He criticized the current wave of thrill-seekers, who he said are driven by the desire for social media fame. “I stopped doing urban exploration when this wave of ‘Ready to do anything for TikTok’ began,” he said. “I lost interest when I saw how the hobby was ruined.”
Barbeau urged the public to respect the oratory’s historical and spiritual significance and to avoid putting their lives at risk. “The oratory is a place of peace and prayer,” she said. “We want to ensure it remains a safe and welcoming space for everyone.”
As the oratory continues to grapple with this issue, authorities are exploring additional measures to deter trespassers and protect the site’s heritage.