The Redemptorist Father's Monastery

Here we see the construction of one of the wings of the building in 1938: a third floor was added over the frame of the main chapel.

View of John Egan’s house (which at the time had a superimposed porch and balcony at the front). It stood in front of the Redemptorist Fathers’ monastery during the construction in 1938.

A view of the seminarians’ dining hall.

A view of the monastery chapel.

The former Redemptorist Fathers’ monastery was converted into a senior’s residence in the late 1990s.

The Redemptorist Fathers of Aylmer were a community of 130 brothers and students living in a cloistered community. Their congregation bought John Egan House in 1937, and built a seminary on the 30-acre property. The original house served as the entrance to the seminary, which integrated perfectly with this heritage building. The imposing monastery was drawn by architect Joseph-Aimé Poulin of Sherbrooke, Quebec. Notice the modillioned cornices carved under the roof overhang to support it.

In addition to these distinguished buildings, the property had a tree-lined pathway where the priests went to read, a central courtyard and an orchard where the priests grew fruit and vegetables to be self-sufficient. Inside, there were facilities for religious education: a library, classrooms, laboratories, a refectory, a gymnasium and even an indoor pool. These days, despite having been transformed into a senior’s residence, the monastery fits in with the rest of the heritage neighbourhood, with its red roofs, without losing any of its olden day charm enhanced by the presence of mature trees.