MONTREAL - From its Romanesque architecture to its location in the heart of Little Italy, Notre Dame de la Defense church is a powerful symbol of Canada's oldest Italian community.
Generations of Italians have gathered at the church for funerals, weddings and baptisms.
"It's something really meaningful to me," said church sacristan Luigi Discala.
The church is famous for the fresco on the ceiling of Benito Mussolini riding a horse. It's a throwback to the era where the fascist dictator made peace between the relatively new Italian state and the Vatican.
Father Greg Ciszek appreciates the historical significance, but it's the spiritual experience he values most.
"When I come here, in the morning or the evening, I am always reminded of what I am doing as a priest, but also and first of all as a Christian," he said.
In recent years, the church has also become known for the funerals of slain mobsters..
As a Christian, Ciszek says he can't say no to a funeral.
"We're not saying look how the person is good or bad, but we're offering the person to god and asking him to take care of the person at this point," he said.
