St. Mary's Cathedral (Kingston, Ontario) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary's Cathedral (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception) |
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St. Mary's Cathedral
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| 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 is a large Roman Catholic church in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Its full name is the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception. This important building is one of two cathedrals in Kingston. The other is St. George's Cathedral, which is an Anglican church. St. Mary's Cathedral is also close to two other churches on Clergy Street: Chalmers United Church and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.
Contents
Building History
How the Cathedral Was Built
Work on St. Mary's Cathedral began in 1842. An architect named James R. Bowes designed the first plans. The church officially opened its doors on October 4, 1848.
Growing Bigger
Later, in 1889, the cathedral became much larger. Another architect, Joseph Connolly, created the new design for this expansion.
Tallest Structure in Kingston
The very tall spire of St. Mary's Cathedral reaches 242 feet high. This makes it the tallest building or structure in the whole city of Kingston.
Cathedral Upgrades
Big Changes and Repairs
Between 1987 and 1995, St. Mary's Cathedral had many important repairs. Workers rebuilt a large part of the north wall. They also replaced the old roof, which was made of asbestos, with new slate tiles. The original roof was made of tin. These big renovations cost about $7,000,000.
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
Adding Color to the Church
St. Mary's Cathedral did not have any stained glass windows at first. In 1885, Archbishop James Vincent Cleary asked for these colorful windows to be made. They were part of the big changes happening at the church then.
Special Events and Anniversaries
Important Ceremonies
Over the years, many important ceremonies have taken place at St. Mary's Cathedral. New Bishops and Archbishops have been officially welcomed here.
Celebrating Milestones
The cathedral celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1973. This was a big moment for the church community.
175 Years of History
In 2023, St. Mary's Cathedral reached its 175th anniversary. To celebrate, the church held a special "Lessons and Carols" service. The church also published two books about its beautiful stained glass windows. One was a coloring book, and the other was a detailed book about their history.
