St. Hyacinth's Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Hyacinth's Cathedral |
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| Cathédrale Saint-Hyacinthe-le-Confesseur | |
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| 45°37′29″N 72°56′57″W / 45.62472°N 72.94917°W | |
| Location | Saint-Hyacinthe Quebec |
| Country | Canada |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
The Cathedral of St. Hyacinth the Confessor (French: Cathédrale Saint-Hyacinthe-le-Confesseur) is a beautiful church in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada. It is the main church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe. This special church is named after St. Hyacinth of Poland. It was built in 1880. The building uses a style called Romanesque Revival.
Contents
The Cathedral's Story
The Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe was created on June 8, 1852. Jean-Charles Prince became its first bishop. At first, an old seminary building was used as a temporary main church. It was also the home for the clergy. A red brick chapel was quickly built near the Hôtel-Dieu. However, during a funeral in 1860, this temporary church started to show signs of weakness. It could not hold many people.
New Leadership and Building Plans
Charles La Rocque became bishop in March 1866. He saw that the church had many debts. To save money, he moved himself and his staff out of the bishop's palace. They went to Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil. There, he worked as both a bishop and a local pastor.
The money saved by Bishop La Rocque helped build the current cathedral. Bishop Louis-Zéphirin Moreau started the construction. The architect for this project was Adolphe Lévesque. He was paid $50,000 for his work. The cathedral was named to honor St. Hyacinth, a Dominican confessor. Bishop Moreau is buried inside the cathedral. In September 2022, Bishop Christian Rodembourg led a special ceremony to formally dedicate the cathedral.
Building Design and Changes
Adolphe Lévesque designed the cathedral in the Romanesque style. However, the front of the building was too heavy for the soft clay soil. Because of this, a big repair project happened in 1908. Architects Maurice Perrault and Albert Mesnard worked on it. They made the foundation stronger. They also replaced the original square towers with two tall, slender bell towers. The beautiful pictures showing the Stations of the Cross were added in 1913.
Inside the Cathedral
Another renovation took place in 1942. During this time, the side balconies were removed. A new baptistery was also installed. After the Second Vatican Council, some parts of the choir area were changed. New chandeliers made of Czechoslovakian glass were hung. They replaced older neon lights. In 1975, Bishop Moreau's tomb was moved. It was placed in the left transept of the cathedral. More repairs were done in 1998 and 1999. These fixed the front courtyard and the stone work.
Art and Music Inside
The painting in the ceiling of the choir shows the Eternal Father. This artwork was created by Ozias Leduc. In 1853, the bishop of Montreal, Mgr Ignace Bourget, gave Saint-Hyacinthe a harmonium. This instrument was used until a new Casavant organ, called opus 8, was installed in 1885.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Jacinto (Saint-Hyacinthe) para niños
