St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Catholic) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral |
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| St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral (of the Assumption) | |
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| Location | Edinburgh |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St Mary's Chapel (1814) |
| Status | Metropolitan Cathedral (of the Province of St Andrews and Edinburgh) |
| Consecrated | 1814 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Listed B |
| Architect(s) | James Gillespie Graham |
| Years built | 1814 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | St Andrews and Edinburgh |
| Province | St Andrews and Edinburgh |
St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, also known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, is a Roman Catholic church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the main church for the Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh. It is also considered the most important Catholic church in Scotland. You can find this cathedral in the New Town area, right in the city center.
History of the Cathedral
St Mary's Chapel first opened its doors in 1814. It was designed by James Gillespie Graham. This new church replaced an older chapel. Building a new, dedicated church showed that the Catholic faith was becoming more accepted in Scotland by 1814.
Over the years, the church was made much grander. In 1878, when the Catholic Church in Scotland was reorganized, it became the main church for the new Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh. On July 5, 1886, it was officially named the Metropolitan Cathedral. It also holds the National Shrine of St. Andrew.
Pope John Paul II visited St Mary's in May 1982. This was part of his special trip to Scotland.
How the Cathedral Was Built
The cathedral was designed between 1813 and 1814. It was built in a style called neo-perpendicular. The main architect was James Gillespie Graham, with extra designs by Augustus Pugin.
In 1892, a fire at the nearby Theatre Royal caused some changes to the cathedral. New arches were added to the side walls. Aisles were also built on both sides, designed by John Biggar. The area where the altar is located was made longer.
A war memorial and the main altar were added in 1921. These were designed by Reginald Fairlie. A special canopy over the altar, called a baldachino, was added in 1927. In 1932, the roof was made taller by Reid and Forbes.
In the 1970s, buildings next to the cathedral were taken down. This opened up the front of the church. The entrance and baptistery (where baptisms happen) were replaced with a bigger entrance. This new design was by T. Harley Haddow. The altar area was also updated to fit new church rules.
Music at the Cathedral
The Schola Cantorum is a group of eight singers. They perform many types of sacred music. This includes old chants, Renaissance music, and modern songs. There is also a cathedral choir for people of different singing abilities.
A new organ was put in the cathedral in 2008. It was built by Matthey Copley and has 4,000 pipes!
The Director of Music is Michael Ferguson. He also teaches at the University of St Andrews and writes music. The organist is Simon Leach.
Concerts and music shows were held at the cathedral. These took place during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 2009 to 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa María de la Asunción (Edimburgo) para niños
