St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral (Gaylord, Michigan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral |
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 Location in Michigan
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| 45°02′01″N 84°40′59″W / 45.0335°N 84.6831°W | |
| Location | 606 N. Ohio Ave. Gaylord, Michigan |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1884 |
| Dedication | Our Lady of Mount Carmel |
| Consecrated | June 25, 1976 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Michigan State Historic Site (1901 church) |
| Designated | 2005 |
| Style | Modern |
| Completed | 1976 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Gaylord |
St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of St. Mary, is a special Catholic church in Gaylord, Michigan, United States. It is the main church for the Diocese of Gaylord. This means it's where the bishop of the area has his official chair.
Contents
History of St. Mary's Cathedral
Early Beginnings (1884-1970)
The story of St. Mary's began in 1884 as a small mission church. It was part of the Diocese of Grand Rapids at that time. The first church building was constructed in 1884. Many of the people who attended were from Poland, and the church quickly grew.
In 1893, during the time of Father Casmir Skory, St. Mary's School was started. Dominican Sisters came to teach at the school. A new, larger church was built between 1900 and 1901. It cost about $15,000, which was a lot of money back then! For many years, this church was the biggest building in the area.
Becoming a Cathedral (1970-Present)
A big change happened on December 19, 1970. Pope Paul VI created a new Catholic area called the Diocese of Gaylord. Because of this, St. Mary's church became the main cathedral for this new diocese.
The first bishop of Gaylord was Edmund Szoka. He decided that a new, modern cathedral was needed. The first stone for the new building was placed on July 25, 1975. The new cathedral was officially opened and dedicated on June 25, 1976. It was named after Our Lady of Mount Carmel. A year later, in July 1977, the church's bell tower and bells were also blessed.
The old church building was sold in 1985. A local group bought it and turned it into a place for performances. They named it the Mount Carmel Centre.
Architecture and Features
St. Mary's Cathedral has a unique shape. It is built like an octagon, which is an eight-sided shape. Its design follows the Modern style.
Outside the Cathedral
Outside the south entrance, there is a beautiful bronze statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This statue was made in 1991 by an artist named Jim Hopfensperger from Midland, Michigan.
Inside the Cathedral
You enter the cathedral through a special area called a gathering space. Near the entrance, there's an octagon-shaped pool that serves as the baptismal font.
The main altar is made from strong Vermont granite. Inside the altar, there are special items called relics. These include small pieces related to the evangelists St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke. There's also a piece from St. John's house and small bone pieces from other saints.
The cathedral has a large pipe organ with over 2,000 pipes. It was built by the Gabriel Kney Company in London, Ontario, Canada. The pipes themselves were made in Göttingen, Germany.
In the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, you can see a sculpture called "The Burning Bush" by Vera Bartnik. The tabernacle, where the Eucharist is kept, looks like a monstrance with a sunburst design.
There are four special shrine areas inside the cathedral. These are dedicated to the Sacred Heart, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Czestochowa, and Bishop Frederic Baraga.
The beautiful stained glass windows tell stories from the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Stations of the Cross are shown as bronze bas reliefs, which are sculptures that stick out from a flat surface. Four crosses with candles mark the main directions inside the cathedral. These spots were blessed with Sacred Chrism when the church walls were dedicated.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa María (Gaylord) para niños
