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St. Mary's Cathedral (Kingston, Ontario) facts for kids

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St. Mary's Cathedral (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception)
St. Mary's Cathedral, Kingston Ontario.jpg
St. Mary's Cathedral
Location 279 Johnson Street
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
K7L 1Y5
Denomination Roman Catholic
History
Dedication 1848
Administration
Parish Kingston
Archdiocese Kingston
Province Kingston

St. Mary's Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception, is a large Roman Catholic church in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is one of several important churches in the city. You can find it on Johnson Street. It is also one of two cathedrals in Kingston. The other is St. George's Cathedral, which belongs to the Anglican faith.

History of St. Mary's Cathedral

The building of St. Mary's Cathedral started a long time ago, in 1842. An architect named James R. Bowes designed the church. The cathedral officially opened its doors on October 4, 1848. Later, in 1889, the church was made much bigger. Joseph Connolly was the architect for this expansion.

The tall spire of the cathedral reaches 242 feet into the sky. This makes it the tallest structure in the entire city of Kingston.

Cathedral Upgrades and Repairs

Between 1987 and 1995, St. Mary's Cathedral had many important repairs. These were called structural renovations. Workers rebuilt a large part of the north wall. They also replaced the old roof, which was made of asbestos. The original roof was tin. The new roof was made with strong slate tiles. These renovations cost about $7,000,000.

Beautiful Stained Glass Windows

For many years, St. Mary's Cathedral did not have any stained glass windows. This changed in 1885. Archbishop James Vincent Cleary ordered these beautiful windows. They became a part of the church's design during his time.

Special Events and Anniversaries

St. Mary's Cathedral has been the place for many important ceremonies. New Bishops and Archbishops have been officially welcomed here over the years.

The cathedral celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1973. This was a big milestone for the church.

In 2023, St. Mary's Cathedral celebrated its 175th anniversary. To mark this special occasion, the church held a "Lessons and Carols" service. The parish also published two books about its amazing stained glass windows. One was a coloring book, and the other was a detailed book about the windows' history.

More Information

  • St. Mary's Cathedral (Kingston) official website: http://www.stmaryscathedral.ca/

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Catedral de Santa María (Kingston) para niños

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