A Turning Point in SNJM History
November 23, 1925, marked a major milestone for the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM). After 65 years at the Hochelaga Convent in Montreal, the Congregation moved from its second Motherhouse to an expansive building located at 1420 Mont-Royal Boulevard in Outremont.
Built between 1923 and 1925 according to plans by architects Joseph Viau and Alphonse Venne, this third Motherhouse reflected the Congregation’s remarkable growth since its founding in Longueuil in 1843.
A City Within a City!
The impressive complex brought together community living spaces, a chapel, a dining hall, administrative offices, and facilities for religious formation.
It also housed numerous educational institutions and activities, including Mont-Jésus-Marie, the Bureau des études (Education Office), Holy Names Business College, and later Collège Jésus-Marie, the École supérieure de musique (School of Advanced Music Studies), and the Institut de pédagogie familiale (Family Education Institute).
Over the decades, thousands of students attended these institutions, making Outremont an important centre for education and training.
The two archival floor plans accompanying this article offer a glimpse of the complex’s impressive scale and help identify its various sections.
More than just a move, the establishment of this new Motherhouse marked a turning point in the evolution of the SNJM. The Outremont Motherhouse would remain a significant part of their history until the early 2000s.
To learn more, visit the website featuring summaries of several SNJM archival collections under the “Documentation and Publications” section (in French only).
