St. Mary's Cathedral (Calgary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary's Cathedral |
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| The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary | |
St Mary's Cathedral Calgary
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| Location | 219 18th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta |
| Country | Canada |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Founded | as sandstone church in 1889 |
| Dedication | October 30, 1955 |
| Dedicated | February 1957, |
| Consecrated | December 11, 1957 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Norman-Gothic |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Calgary |
St. Mary's Cathedral is an important Roman Catholic church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is the main church for the Diocese of Calgary. Its full name is The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Contents
History of St. Mary's Cathedral
Early Beginnings in Calgary
St. Mary's started as a sandstone church in 1889. It was built near the Elbow River. The land was given by the Canadian Pacific Railway. This area was known as the Mission District.
A priest named Father Albert Lacombe settled here in 1884. The first Catholic mission was called Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix. The land was also used to create a French-speaking village called Rouleauville. This village later became mostly English. It joined Calgary in 1907. St. Mary's School was also built nearby on the same land.
Becoming a Cathedral
On November 30, 1912, Pope Pius X created the Diocese of Calgary. This made St. Mary's the main church, or cathedral. It became the official seat of the Bishop.
Building the New Cathedral
The old sandstone cathedral was taken down starting July 21, 1955. A new cornerstone for the current cathedral was placed on October 30, 1955. Construction of the new building finished in February 1957. Bishop Francis P. Carroll officially dedicated the church on December 11, 1957.
Architecture and Design
Who Designed the Cathedral?
The building was designed by architects Maxwell Bates and Alfred Hodges. Jan Bobrowski and Partners were the project engineers. Bird Construction Company Ltd. built the cathedral. The total cost was C$1,000,000.
What Does It Look Like?
The cathedral is built with brick and has sandstone details. It is designed in a modern gothic style. The floor plan is shaped like a "T" or Tau cross, also known as a St. Anthony's Cross. This is different from the usual Latin cross shape of many Western Christian churches.
Above the main entrance, there is a large stone statue. It is 4.9-metre (16 ft) tall. The statue shows the Virgin Mary holding the Child. It was created by a Calgary artist named Luke Lindoe.
Special Features Inside
Senator Pat Burns gave four large bells to the church in 1904. Each bell weighs 750-pound (340 kg). They were made by the Paccard Foundry in Annecy, France. These bells are the only parts from the old church used in the new cathedral.
The tabernacle, chalices, monstrance, and other items were made by Gunning and Son Bronze Works in Dublin. The pulpit was designed by the architects. It was built from hand-carved oak by the Globe Furniture Company of Waterloo, Ontario. The carvings on the pulpit show Christ and four important prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezechiel, and Daniel.
All the beautiful stained glass windows in the cathedral were made by Franz Mayer & Co. in Munich.
Images for kids
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A statue of the Virgin Mary with Child above the cathedral's entrance.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa María (Calgary) para niños
