Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains
The Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains in 2014
Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains is located in Southern Ontario
Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains
Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains
Location in southern Ontario
44°18′20″N 78°19′39″W / 44.30556°N 78.32750°W / 44.30556; -78.32750
Location411 Reid Street
Peterborough, Ontario
K9J 6Y8
CountryCanada
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitewww.st-peter-in-chains.ca
History
StatusCathedral
DedicationSt. Peter ad Vincula
DedicatedSeptember 21, 1825 (1825-09-21)
Architecture
Heritage designationOntario Provincial Plaque[1]
Architect(s)James Chevette
StyleGothic Revival
Years built1837–1838
Administration
ArchdioceseKingston
DiocesePeterborough
Clergy
Bishop(s)The Most Rev. Daniel J. Miehm
RectorFr. Thomas Lynch

The Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough, Ontario, and one of the oldest Catholic churches in Ontario. It is located at 411 Reid Street in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. St. Peter's was designed by James Chevette in the Gothic Revival style. It was elevated to a cathedral in 1882.

History

Roman Catholic services in Peterborough were first held in a log building in 1825. The parish of St. Peter's was established in 1826 to serve the large Irish population in the area. A wood church was later erected but it was destroyed by fire in 1835 or 1836. What is now the nave portion of the cathedral was erected in 1837 with stone quarried in nearby Jackson's Park. Further alterations in 1884-1886 added the transept/sanctuary space and sacristy to the north end. The roof over the high altar was raised to correspond with the height of the nave in 1931. In 1967, the south wall was extended to the front façade of the tower adding a fifth bay to the original structure.[2]

In 1882, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough was established and St. Peter's became its cathedral. Jean-François Jamot was installed as the diocese's first bishop and he is now buried in the crypt. Until 1908, it was the only Catholic church serving Peterborough and the surrounding communities of Smith, Douro, Otonobee and North Monaghan.[2]

Architecture

The current building was designed in a cruciform, modified English Gothic Revival style, then popular in Upper Canada, by James Chevette.[3] The vaulted ceiling was added in the 1931 renovation and is supported by Corinthian columns. Despite later alterations, it retains much of its original style and is an excellent example of Gothic Revival architecture in Canada.[2]

On the back wall of the chancel, there is a 42-foot high and 25-foot wide mosaic of the Last Supper by Alexander von Svoboda installed in 1968. It is made from almost 640,000 pieces of cut glass in 75 different hues and colours and is one of the largest of its kind in Canada.[4][5]

See also

Media related to Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains (Peterborough, Ontario) at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ↑ "Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains, The". Online Plaque Guide. Ontario Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
  2. 1 2 3 Kidd, Martha. "The Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains" (PDF). City of Peterborough.
  3. ↑ Brown, Alan L. "The Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains". ontarioplaques.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
  4. ↑ "St. Peter's Cathedral, Peterborough". healthheritageresearch.com. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "PeterBio/St. Peter-in-Chains Cathedral". Peterborough This Week. 10 July 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
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