The Parish of St. John the Evangelist was established in 1861 and the present church was erected in 1878. Its founder, Father Edmund Wood (1830-1909), introduced the principles of the Oxford Movement to St. John’s and the Diocese of Montreal. The Parish was the first Anglican church in Canada to celebrate daily Mass and provide private Confession, and the first in Quebec to reserve the Blessed Sacrament.
In keeping with the principle that the church is open to all, St. John’s was the first parish in the diocese (and one of the first in the country) not to rent pews. To this day, the congregation sits on chairs rather than in pews.
St. John’s was the first non-Roman Catholic church in Montreal to foster separate institutions: St. John’s School became Lower Canada College, St. Margaret’s Home for Incurables continues as part of the Father Dowd Nursing Home, and St. Michael’s Mission to the Poor, which serves over one hundred breakfasts and lunches per day to Montreal’s homeless, continued to operate from the church until 2022.
Church of St. John the Evangelist
Montréal, Québec
- Type
- Places of Faith
- Address
- 137 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montreal, QC, Canada
Get directions - Hours
- Tuesday 5:00pm-6:30pm Thursday 5:00pm-6:30pm Saturday 11:30am-12:30pm Sunday 8:00am - 12:30pm
- Phone
- (514) 288-4428
Amenities
-
Family-Friendly -
Washrooms
Fun Facts
- The church was designed by architect William Tutin Thomas who also designed several other notable churches and buildings in Montreal (St. George’s Anglican Church, Mount Stephen House, Shaughnessy House)
- The church was designed in the “slum gothic” style common among poor ritualist churches in London by architects such as James Brooks
- The design of the church was said to be most closely inspired by St. Saviour’s Hoxton in Hackney, London which was destroyed by the Blitz.
- The church has featured a metal roof, which has been painted red since 1955 and has led to the church being nicknamed the “Red Roof Church”.
- The church has featured the film Affliction, in the Quebec science-fiction television series Dans une galaxie près de chez vous and also in several Quebec films, including La Bolduc and Karmina.
Location
137 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montreal, QC, Canada
Get directions
Video
Gallery
Nearby Places
Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur | Montréal, Québec – Canada
Montréal, Québec
La Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur is Cultural Centre specialized in concerts .
View Place | Get Directions
‘La Baie’, (The Hudson’s Bay Co.) Montreal, QC
Montréal, Québec
Montreal’s most important retail outlet, its history dates back to trade at Hudsons Bay.
View Place | Get Directions
McGill Music Faculty | Schulich School of Music, Montreal, Qc
Montréal, Québec
McGill Music Faculty | Schulich School of Music historic Strathcona Music Building c1896
View Place | Get Directions
’Raoul Wallenberg Holocaust Memorial Park’, Montreal
Montréal, Québec
Raoul Wallenberg Park offers an oasis of calm amongst the bustle of downtown Montreal.
View Place | Get Directions
