St. Mary's Basilica (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica
Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica in 2016
44°38′40″N63°34′23.69″W / 44.64444°N 63.5732472°W / 44.64444; -63.5732472
Location	5221 Spring Garden Road Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1Z3
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	stmcathedral.com
History
Status	Cathedral, minor basilica
Consecrated	19 October 1899
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Norman-Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Granite
Administration
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
National Historic Site of Canada
Official name	St. Mary's Basilica National Historic Site of Canada
Designated	1997
Nova Scotia Heritage Property Act
Official name	St. Mary's Basilica
Type	Provincially Registered Property
Designated	April 4, 1984
Reference no.	00PNS0025

St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica is a Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral located in the downtown core of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth and is the largest Catholic church in the Archdiocese. Consecrated on 19 October 1899, it was made a basilica in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. The St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica boasts the tallest granite spire in North America.

A public veneration of a relic of the heart of Blessed Carlo Acutis at Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica

History

The church has been significantly expanded and altered over time. Originally constructed of wood, it was replaced by a stone structure beginning in 1820 inspired (as were many churches of the day) by Saint Martin in the Fields in London. ^[1] It was expanded to its present size beginning in 1869, according to designs of Patrick Keely who introduced the Gothic Revival façade and spire. Besides the Gothic features, the spire also includes Norman and Germanic design elements. ^{[1] [2]}

The church enjoyed a papal visit from Pope John Paul II in September 1984; that year was the 200th anniversary of the precedent set by the laity of Halifax of forcing the repeal of the anti-Catholic legislation in Nova Scotia, and the British Empire. ^[3]

The basilica was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1997. ^[4]

The church was heavily damaged in the Halifax Explosion on 6 December 1917. All of the stained glass windows were shattered by the force of the blast, and tiny pieces of glass were embedded in the walls. In addition to being peppered by the glass shards, the paintings on the walls suffered water damage from a blizzard which entered the church through the broken windows. The murals were covered over with white paint in the 1950s. In June 2019, work was begun to remove the layers of white paint (using scalpels) and restore damaged portions of the paintings—a project expected to continue until 2024. ^[5]

In 2024, Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica welcomed the relic of the Blessed Carlo Acutis as part of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth's Eucharistic congress. ^[6]

Architectural style

St. Mary's Cathedral, in a postcard

The stone structure from 1820 was inspired by Saint Martin in the Fields in London. ^[1] In 1869, Patrick Keely introduced the Gothic Revival style to the structure in the façade and spire, which are notable for being built entirely of granite. Except for the three portals which have jamb shafts of pink Aberdeen granite, all of the stone was locally obtained. The granite spire with the height of 189 feet (58 m) is a prominent architectural feature of Halifax. Besides the Gothic features, the spire also includes Norman and Germanic design elements. ^{[1] [2]}

Cemetery

St. Peter's Cemetery, located to the west of St. Mary's Basilica, is the oldest Catholic cemetery in Halifax, created when the original chapel was built at the site of the basilica in 1784. The St. Peter's Cemetery served as the main Catholic burial place in Halifax until 1843 when it was replaced by Holy Cross Cemetery. ^[7]

See also

• List of oldest buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia
• List of oldest buildings in Canada

References

1. J. Philip McAleer, A Pictorial History of the Basilica of St. Mary, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Library of Canadian Architecture, Technical University of Nova Scotia, 1984 (unpaginated)
2. Swackhamer, Barry. "St. Mary's Basilica–La Basilique St. Mary". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
3. Hanington, J. Brian (1984). Every Popish Person. Hong Kong: Archdiocese of Halifax. ISBN   0-9691712-0-X.
4. St. Mary's Basilica . Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 15 April 2013.
5. "Uncovering of cathedral's spectacular murals reveals remnants of 1917 Halifax explosion". National Post. 22 December 2019.
6. Nonato, Sheila Dabu. "Blessed Carlo Acutis relic Ontario tour kicks off Oct. 31". The Catholic Register . Archdiocese of Toronto . Retrieved 24 October 2024.
7. Gordon Douglas Pollock and Sharon Riel, “St. Peter's/St. Mary's Burial Registers”, Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia

External links

• Official website