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Holy Rosary Cathedral - Regina
Tours
of Holy Rosary Cathedral
Our Lady of the Assumption Co-cathedral - Gravelbourg
Coat of Arms
Holy
Rosary Cathedral - Regina
Dedicated to Our Lady of the Most
Holy Rosary, Regina’s cathedral is one of the province’s most beautiful
and imposing churches, and has in
recent decades given its name to a district of the city’s west end, the
Cathedral area. It stands as eloquent testimony to the faith, generosity,
and hope for the future of Regina’s
early Catholics. It measures 200’ by
90’, and features two tall, elegant
spires pointing heavenward. In the
east tower is a large bell donated in
1915 by the parish Altar Guild. The
cathedral’s dozens of beautiful
stained glass windows were completed in 1949/50 by the artisan André Rault of Rennes, France, who remarked that of
all his work, these windows gave him the most pleasure.
Holy Rosary web site
Tours
The Mother Church of the Archdiocese offers tours throughout the year. The tour lasts about 40 minutes and includes: a brief history of the
Diocese and Cathedral; certain artifacts and objects within the Cathedral;
the McGuigan-Casavant organ; the Holy Door; and the stained glass windows.
To book a tour, call the parish office at 306-565-0909, e-mail
or drop in to
the parish office at 2104 Garnet Street.
Lapel pins, shirts, and souvenir photos are available at the office as well as the Holy
Sites of the Archdiocese brochure ($1.00).
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Our Lady
of the Assumption Co-cathedral - Gravelbourg
 The Church of St. Philomena
became the Cathedral of St. Philomena July 27, 1930, and was later renamed the Cathedral of Our
Lady of the Assumption in 1965.
It is an imposing edifice that can accommodate up to 1,500 persons. It measure 54.8 metres in length,
25.9 metres in width at the transept, 15.8 metre in the nave and is 19.8 metres in height in its main body.
The facade, illuminated by a stained glass window depicting the Assumption of Our Lady, is flanked
by twin towers crowned by cupolas that rise to a height of 53.3 metres. It
is a steel frame structure with the outside walls of fireproof brick, light
tan in colour, with trimming of Indiana stone. The four
bells are alternately engraved with the names: Philomène, Pierre, Charles,
Joseph-Émilienne and were donated by parishioners.
The contract cost was $96,618. and the final tally of
expenses amounted to $287,515. The required funding was provided by donations
from
parishioners and anonymous benefactors.
The construction began in 1918 and the Most Reverend O. E.
Mathieu, Archbishop of Regina, presided at the blessing ceremony on November
5, 1919. The
architect, J. E. Fortin of Montreal, chose a style that combined the Romanesque and
Italian Renaissance. The interior decoration is entirely from the hand of Msgr. Charles
Maillard, pastor of Gravelbourg. He dedicated ten years of his life (1921 - 1931) to this
work.
It is to be noted that the plan of the nave was modified to
accommodate the liturgical norms of the Vatican II Council.
On September 14th 1998, Pope John Paul II announced major boundary changes in Saskatchewan, the
effect of which was to merge the diocese of Gravelbourg and the Archdiocese of Regina.
An official decree from Rome designated Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral as a
co-cathedral of the archdiocese.
Coat of Arms
The Coat of Arms' external ornaments are composed of the pontifical hat with
its ten tassels on each side, disposed in four rows, all in green, and the archiepiscopal
cross with double traverse in gold. These are the presently-accepted heraldic trappings
of a prelate of the rank of archbishop.
The mitre and crozier are symbols of the office of bishop.
At the centre is the Archdiocese of Regina's patroness, Mary, Queen of
Heaven.
The Coat of Arms appeared on the cover of the inaugural issue of the SALVE REGINA Quarterly 1934. |
