St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Mary, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Cathedral with Cardinal Hume statue in foreground (March 2006)
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Location	Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	www.stmarys-cathedral.org.uk
History
Status	Cathedral
Consecrated	1844
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Years built	1842-1844
Completed	21 August 1844
Specifications
Number of spires	1
Administration
Diocese	Hexham and Newcastle (since 1850)
Province	Liverpool

The Cathedral Church of St Mary is a Catholic cathedral located in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the main church for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. This means it is where the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle has his official seat.

The cathedral is on Clayton Street. It was designed by a famous architect named Augustus Welby Pugin. The building was constructed between 1842 and 1844. St Mary's Cathedral is a Grade I listed building, which means it is very important historically. It is a great example of the Gothic Revival style that Pugin loved.

Outside the cathedral, there is a statue dedicated to Cardinal Basil Hume. Queen Elizabeth II opened this monument garden in 2002. St Mary's Cathedral is also one of the tallest buildings in Newcastle.

History of St Mary's Cathedral
- How St Mary's Church Began
- Becoming a Cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral Today
- Recent Bishops
- Renovations and Improvements
Gallery
See also

History of St Mary's Cathedral

How St Mary's Church Began

St. Mary's Church in Newcastle first opened its doors in August 1844. Many poor immigrants in the Tyneside area helped pay for it. They often gave small amounts, like halfpennies. William Riddell was the priest in charge of the mission in Newcastle upon Tyne at that time.

The beautiful stained glass windows were made by William Wailes in 1843. These include the Great East Window, the Lady Chapel, and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The designs for these windows were provided by Pugin himself.

Becoming a Cathedral

In 1850, Pope Pius IX made an important decision. He brought back the Catholic hierarchy (the system of bishops and dioceses) to England and Wales. A large area, once known as the Vicariate Apostolic of the Northern District, became the new Diocese of Hexham.

Bishop William Hogarth was chosen to be the first bishop of this new diocese. A bishop needs a special church where his official seat, called a cathedra, is placed. St Mary's was chosen for this purpose. This is how it became a cathedral church in 1850. It was actually the first cathedral in Newcastle. The Anglican St. Nicholas' Cathedral did not become a cathedral until 1882.

On August 21, 1860, the cathedral was officially dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. The name of the diocese changed in 1861 to the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. Since then, eleven more bishops have been installed at St Mary's.

In 1872, a tower and steeple were added to the cathedral. These were designed by Dunn & Hansom. The money for this addition came from a gift left by Elizabeth Dunn.

St Mary's Cathedral Today

Recent Bishops

The position of Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle was empty after Bishop Kevin John Dunn passed away in March 2008. He had served as bishop for almost four years. He became a bishop on May 25, 2004.

Seamus Cunningham became the next bishop on March 20, 2009. This date is the feast day of St. Cuthbert, who is the patron saint of the diocese. Bishop Cunningham is the thirteenth bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

On February 4, Pope Francis announced that Bishop Robert Byrne would be the next Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. This happened after Bishop Seamus Cunningham resigned. Bishop Robert Byrne was previously an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Birmingham.

Renovations and Improvements

On April 21, 2006, the Dean of the cathedral, Reverend Michael Campion, left his role. He was followed by Reverend Peter Leighton. Reverend Leighton used to be the Catholic Chaplain at the University of Durham.

Under Reverend Peter Leighton's guidance, the cathedral went through a big renovation. This work helped bring back much of the original beauty of the building. The first part of the renovation finished in September 2010. The second part was completed in February 2013. This included adding a new, large organ with 46 stops.