Photographs of St. Michael the Archangel Church, Montreal

There is much that could be said about St. Michael the Archangel Church; it is unique in its design, its history, and it is still operating as a church. Here, I just want to give some photographs of the church, most of which I took in the early 2000s. If you stand on Mount Royal, in Mount Royal Cemetry, near the graves of Mordecai Richler or Boris Brott, you can see St. Michael's in the distance, it is a prominent feature on the Montreal landscape.

Rosette window above main entrance

St. Michael's Church on St. Viateur

Guido Nincheri must have felt like Michelangelo when he painted this

About this painting, Fr. Luke Callaghan wrote: 

The dreadful fall of the angels is ingeniously represented: from the four corners of the dome they are hurled into space studded with stars, stripped of their perfect beauty and their spiritual charm; their draperies, torn by the terrible cataclysm, reveal the animal hidden below. They are enveloped in flames that lick the base of the cornices of the arches and the vertical bands that support the dome.

The original statement in French:

La terrible chute des anges est ingénieusement représentée : des quatre coins du dôme ils sont projetés dans l'espace constellé d'étoiles, dépouillés de leur beauté parfaite et de leur charme spirituel ; leurs draperies, déchirées par le terrible cataclysme, révèlent l'animal caché en dessous. Ils sont enveloppés de flammes qui lèchent la base des corniches des arcs et les bandes verticales qui soutiennent le dôme.

I took the following photographs inside St. Michael's Church when it was open to visitors. 

 

That's my wife sitting in the pews...

That's me beside the young woman who was at the door
welcoming visitors to the church

Venus Sweets, decorations by Guido Nincheri (three)

Venus Sweets, decorations by Guido Nincheri (two)

Venus Sweets, decorations by Guido Nincheri (one)

These postcards, of original art by Guido Nincheri, were exhibited at Victoria Hall in Westmount, Quebec as part of an exhibition of Nincheri`s work.

Guido Nincheri, Montreal artist

In late November, early December 2011, there was an exhibition of the non-sacred art by Florence-born artist Guido Nincheri at Victoria Hall, Westmount, Quebec. My interest in Nincheri is due to his art found at St. Michael's Church in Mile End, Montreal, art commisioned by my great great uncle, Father Luke Callaghan. Callaghan is largely responsible for overseeing the construction of St. Michael's and having Nincheri decorate the interior of the church. You can find more on Nincheri and on St. Michael's Church by going to the index on this page.