NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL

The Cathedral is located on Sussex Dr. between St. Patrick and Guigues,
across from the National Gallery.

OFFICE
56 Guigues Ave, Ottawa, K1N 5H5
Phone: 613-241-7496
Fax: 613-241-1627
reception@notredameottawa.com

OFFICE HOURS- 
Office hours are Monday to Wednesday 9 to 12 and 1 to 3.  You can call the number listed above, leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

A campaign was launched on May 26th, 2019 to help us preserve one of Canada's musical gems: the organ here at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica.

It is the first organ to use electric key action in North America and one of the three outstanding organs in the history of the Casavant firm.

Please pick up a leaflet at the main entrance for more information on what the project entailed. You may also click on the picture.

Divine Mercy Sunday

The feast of the Divine Mercy on this 2nd Sunday of Easter is a beautiful invitation to not lose sight of the grace of the Risen Christ offered for each of us during this Easter season. With the return of the State of Emergency and the stay-at-home order, it is easy to slip into discouragement, to get carried away by our frustrations and/or worries. These feelings are real and affect many people of all ages and backgrounds. We need to be aware of how they affect us. But let us not neglect to turn to Him in whom we find the graces of eternal salvation.

Opening ourselves to the Divine Mercy can only help us to restore what is wounded in us. Whether we are afflicted by sin, by fear or anxiety, by shame or guilt, by the suffering of an illness, God, in his love for us, desires only to do us good, to give us life in abundance. Through his Son Jesus, God reveals himself to us in order to reconcile us to himself. Let us allow ourselves to be loved by Love itself. Let us be healed by the Author of Life. Let us be forgiven by the Redeemer who defeated death and evil.

During these difficult times, let us dare to pray "Jesus, I trust in you."
 

+ Abp Marcel Damphousse
Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall

Tourism activities (including all visits) are still suspended until further notice.  Please note that it is not allowed to visit the Cathedral during Masses. Thank you for your understanding!

The Cathedral Parking Lot is managed by the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall and not by Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica. The Archdiocese has entered into a new agreement with a company to manage the parking lot. The new regulations as of October 1, 2020 will be as follows: you will be required to pay for parking at all times with the exception of one-half hour prior to weekend Masses and one-half hour after weekend Masses. We will no longer have the ability to cancel parking tickets. Special arrangements will be made for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals.
 

With the necessity of wearing masks while indoors, the reception of Holy Communion is a little more complicated than usual. Please approach the minister of Holy Communion, stop a safe distance away, lower or remove your mask, extend your hands one on top of the other to make a safe place to receive the consecrated host and then consume the host immediately. You may then replace or readjust your mask. Please do not walk away with the host. It is a little more complicated because of the use of masks but we remind you that the Blessed Sacrament is a precious gift that we receive with reverence as the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your cooperation.

Last week the City of Ottawa required all people using indoor facilities to wear masks. Masks are now required inside the Cathedral. There are a few exemptions, such as for young children or people with medical conditions. The physical distancing rules still apply with 2m distance between persons who are not in the same household.
For more information please see: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/masks.aspx

We get asked this question often and it is difficult to answer. Because of the requirement for physical distancing between people who are not in the same household, we have determined that the maximum capacity for Mass is around 200 people. If we have many families, who are permitted to sit together, we can accommodate a few more people since they can occupy the same pew. Our weekend Masses with maximum capacity have averaged about 110 people on Sunday mornings. Saturday evening Mass has fewer people in attendance so there is still room to accommodate more people if this is an option for you and your family. We regret having to turn people away when we are full and we are looking forward to the time when the rules for physical distancing can be relaxed, but we are not at that point right now. We continue to follow the rules set by the Public Health Officer. Thank you for your cooperation and to the volunteers who are helping to sanitize the church after each Mass!

As you may know, our revenue from donations has significantly declined due to the Covid-19 restrictions limiting our gathering size and the number of Masses we can celebrate each weekend. Please help support the cathedral by making a donation by cheque, cash at Mass as you leave or anytime online at our Canada Helps link on our webpage: www.notredameottawa.com . If you donate online, you will receive a tax receipt immediately from Canada Helps. Please support the Cathedral community with your prayers and a financial contribution if you are able to do so at the present time. Your donation helps pay salaries, utilities, and costs for cleaning the church among other necessities. The additional precautionary measures such as cleaning the church after every Mass have increased our expenses when our revenue is already falling below our needs so your financial assistance is appreciated. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation!

Many are wondering when we can reopen our churches and what that will look like as the restrictions ease. The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO) is working on a response. A Committee of the ACBO is meeting with the Ontario Provincial Government to look at the various aspects of reopening our churches following the advice of the medical experts. We are awaiting the decision of Premier Ford on reopening, which may take place in stages. What that will look like, we do not know at the present time. The Bishops working with the Provincial Government are figuring out how to best proceed balancing our genuine need to practice our faith together with the overall public good. You may have read various opinions on what will happen when we reopen but the fact is we do not have definite answers right now. When we can reopen, we will most likely see physical distancing restrictions in the church as well as enhanced cleaning protocols and some adaptations to our celebration. These new temporary measures will complicate reopening; we are counting on your assistance and patience as we deal with this new situation as a parish community. We are all eager to return to our Sunday Masses!