Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Baltimore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of Mary Our Queen |
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View of the front of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
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| 39°21′31″N 76°37′34″W / 39.35861°N 76.62611°W | |
| Location | 5200 North Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland  |
| Country |  United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Dedication | Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Consecrated | October 13, 1959 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Style | English Gothic/Neo-Gothic Art Deco |
| Groundbreaking | October 1954 |
| Completed | 1959 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2,000 sitting |
| Length | 373 feet (114 m) |
| Width | 132 feet (40 m) |
| Number of spires | 2 |
| Spire height | 163 feet (50 m) |
| Materials | brick, limestone |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Baltimore |
The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen is a large Catholic church in northern Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It was finished in 1959.
This cathedral is where the Archbishop of Baltimore has his special chair, called a cathedra. It shares this role with another important church, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is in downtown Baltimore. Since the Baltimore archdiocese was the first Catholic diocese in the U.S., this newer cathedral is known as a "co-cathedral."
Contents
Where is the Cathedral?
The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen is located in the Homeland area of northern Baltimore. It is close to Loyola University Maryland and St. Mary's Seminary and University. St. Mary's was the first Catholic seminary (a school for training priests) in the United States.
The money to build the cathedral came from a generous gift. An Irish merchant from Baltimore named Thomas J O'Neill left funds for its construction in his will.
History of the Cathedral
Work on the new cathedral began in October 1954. Five years later, on October 13, 1959, Bishop Jerome Aloysius Daugherty Sebastian officially dedicated the cathedral. This means he held a special ceremony to open it for religious services.
Pope St. John Paul II visited both the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen and the older basilica. He came in 1995 when he was Pope. He also visited in 1976, before he became Pope, when he was known as Cardinal Karol Wojtyla.
How the Cathedral Looks
The cathedral's design mixes two styles: Gothic Revival architecture and Art Deco. It is built with brick covered in limestone. The building has a traditional cross shape when viewed from above.
The cathedral is about 373 feet (114 m) long, 132 feet (40 m) wide, and its two tall spires reach 163 feet (50 m) high. It can hold up to 2,000 people sitting down. Many sculptures by Joseph Coletti decorate the cathedral.
Burials in the Crypt
The crypt is a special room or vault located under the main floor of the cathedral. It is a burial place for the archbishops and auxiliary bishops of Baltimore.
Here are some of the important church leaders buried there:
- Bishop Jerome Aloysius Daugherty Sebastian, who died in 1960
- Archbishop Francis Patrick Keough, who died in 1961
- Cardinal Lawrence Shehan, who died in 1984
- Bishop Thomas Austin Murphy, who died in 1991
- Bishop Philip Francis Murphy, who died in 1999
- Archbishop William Donald Borders, who died in 2010
- Bishop William Clifford Newman, who died in 2017
The Organs
The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen has two large pipe organs. The first organs were built by the M. P. Moller Company in Maryland. After 46 years, and some damage from water and smoke, the church decided to fix them.
In 2005, the Schantz Organ Co. from Ohio was chosen to restore the organs. They repaired and replaced many parts. They also built two new control panels, called "consoles." These consoles allow the organist to play both organs from either the front or back of the church. The console at the front can even be moved around for different events.
After the restoration, the main organ in the back gallery has 100 "ranks" (sets of pipes), and the organ at the front of the church has 27 ranks.
The first public concert on the restored organ was held on July 5, 2007. Cherry Rhodes was the organist for this special event.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de María Nuestra Reina para niños
- List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
- List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
- List of cathedrals in the United States
