Was it fate that led the Congrégation de Notre-Dame to this very spot? For over 25 years, Maison de Prière Notre-Dame stood as a beacon of faith. The Congrégation de Notre-Dame owned it since 1995. But their activities here ended in the autumn of 2020.
Let’s step back in time to 1874. Louis-Édouard Morin, a prominent businessman, built the original house. It was then known as Maison Morin. He was a school commissioner, counselor, and mayor of Ville Jacques-Cartier, now Longueuil. He even served as president of the Société St-Jean-Baptiste. This grand Victorian house features a Tudor-style neo-Gothic design. It boasted 18 rooms on an immense plot of land.
Now, picture the Presentation Brothers. This Irish Catholic community acquired the house. They expanded it in 1930. They used it as a novitiate. Maison de Prière Notre-Dame echoes with history. Imagine novices walking these halls.
The house spans three floors. It totals 13473 square feet. The land stretches over 100000 square feet. The address is 180 de Normandie.
But the story doesn’t end there. In July 2021, FAR du Grand Montréal acquired the property. They plan to transform and expand the Maison Morin. It will house five kilometers of archives, objects, and books. This will make it the largest center for religious archives in Canada. The legacy of Maison de Prière Notre-Dame will continue. It will evolve into a new chapter of preservation and learning.