Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral (Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde)

Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral (Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde) is the Roman Catholic cathedral of Montreal, standing at 1085 Rue de la Cathédrale in the downtown core of Montreal, Quebec. Completed in 1894, it was built as a scaled-down replica of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and it stands in striking contrast to the glass office towers that surround it. Entry is free, and the building remains an active place of worship.

The exterior follows a Roman Renaissance and Baroque model, with a large copper dome, a classical facade and a row of statues of patron saints of Montreal's parishes lining the roofline. Inside, the most notable feature is the canopy over the main altar, a copy of Bernini's baldachin in St. Peter's, with twisting columns and gilded detail. Visitors will also see ornate ceiling paintings, side chapels, stained glass and a crypt containing the tombs of former archbishops of Montreal. Scale and symmetry give the interior a calm, grand atmosphere that differs from the more ornate Gothic interior of Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal.

A visit usually takes about 30 minutes, although architecture enthusiasts may stay longer to study the details. The cathedral is open daily, generally from morning to late afternoon outside Mass times, and visitors are asked to remain quiet and respectful during services. Photography is usually tolerated for personal use when no service is under way, but flash and disruption should be avoided.

Weekday mid-mornings between Masses are the calmest times, while weekends and religious holidays bring services and larger numbers of worshippers. The cathedral is about a four-minute walk from Peel metro station on the Green Line or Bonaventure on the Orange Line, and it sits beside Place Ville Marie and the Underground City, making it easy to fit into a downtown walk. A single metro fare is CAD 3.75.