St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral (Gaylord, Michigan)
Encyclopedia
St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, also known simply as St. Mary’s Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral
located in Gaylord, Michigan
, United States
. It is the seat of the Diocese of Gaylord
.
established the Diocese of Gaylord on December 19, 1970, St. Mary’s became the cathedral for the new diocese.
The first bishop of Gaylord, Edmund Szoka, had the present cathedral built. The cornerstone
was laid on July 25, 1975. The new cathedral was dedicated to St. Mary, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
on June 25, 1976. The bell tower and bells were consecrated in July 1977.
architectural style. A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary outside the south entrance was created by Jim Hopfensperger of Midland, Michigan
. It is cast in bronze and was added to the grounds in 1991. A gathering space provides the entryway into the building. The baptismal font is an octagon shaped pool near the entrance. The altar is created from Vermont granite. Inside the altar are the relics of the evangelists St. Matthew, St. Mark and St. Luke, a piece of St. John
's house, and pieces of bone from other saints. The pipe organ
was built by the Gabriel Kney Company
of London, Ontario
, Canada
. The 2,000 plus pipes were manufactured in Gottingen, Germany. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel contains a sculpture of The Burning Bush by Vera Bartnik of Traverse City, Michigan
. The tabernacle
is in the shape of a monstrance
and has a luna suspended in a sunburst where the Eucharist is reserved. There are four shrine areas in the cathedral dedicated to the Sacred Heart
, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Czestochowa and Bishop Frederic Baraga
. The stained glass windows
portray the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
, and the Stations of the Cross
are bronze bas reliefs. Four crosses with candles mark the four primary directions where the cathedral walls were consecrated with Sacred Chrism
.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
located in Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,681. It is the county seat of Otsego County. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord; it is by far the smallest settlement serving as the location of an active Roman...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the seat of the Diocese of Gaylord
Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Northern Michigan region of the United States. It comprises the twenty-one most northern counties of the lower peninsula of the state, and includes the cities of Traverse City,...
.
History
The previous St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church was built from 1900-1901. When Pope Paul VIPope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
established the Diocese of Gaylord on December 19, 1970, St. Mary’s became the cathedral for the new diocese.
The first bishop of Gaylord, Edmund Szoka, had the present cathedral built. The cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
was laid on July 25, 1975. The new cathedral was dedicated to St. Mary, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries...
on June 25, 1976. The bell tower and bells were consecrated in July 1977.
Architecture
St. Mary’s Cathedral is an octagon-shaped structure built in the ModernModern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
architectural style. A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary outside the south entrance was created by Jim Hopfensperger of Midland, Michigan
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. It is cast in bronze and was added to the grounds in 1991. A gathering space provides the entryway into the building. The baptismal font is an octagon shaped pool near the entrance. The altar is created from Vermont granite. Inside the altar are the relics of the evangelists St. Matthew, St. Mark and St. Luke, a piece of St. John
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
's house, and pieces of bone from other saints. The pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
was built by the Gabriel Kney Company
Gabriel Kney
Gabriel Kney is a renowned Canadian builder of pipe organs based in London, Ontario.Kney was born in Speyer-am-Rhein, Germany...
of London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The 2,000 plus pipes were manufactured in Gottingen, Germany. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel contains a sculpture of The Burning Bush by Vera Bartnik of Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
. The tabernacle
Church tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
is in the shape of a monstrance
Monstrance
A monstrance is the vessel used in the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, and Anglican churches to display the consecrated Eucharistic host, during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Created in the medieval period for the public display of relics, the monstrance today is...
and has a luna suspended in a sunburst where the Eucharist is reserved. There are four shrine areas in the cathedral dedicated to the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Czestochowa and Bishop Frederic Baraga
Frederic Baraga
Frederic Baraga, Servant of God was a Slovene American Roman Catholic missionary, bishop, and grammarian.-Early life:Frederic Baraga was born as Friderik Irenej Baraga in the manor house at Mala Vas no...
. The stained glass windows
Stained Glass Windows
Stained Glass Windows was an early broadcast television program, broadcast on early Sunday evenings on the ABC network. The program was a religious broadcast, hosted by the Reverend Everett Parker....
portray the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Titles of Mary
Mary is known by many titles , epithets , invocations and other names ....
, and the Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
are bronze bas reliefs. Four crosses with candles mark the four primary directions where the cathedral walls were consecrated with Sacred Chrism
Chrism
Chrism , also called "Myrrh" , Holy anointing oil, or "Consecrated Oil", is a consecrated oil used in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Rite Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, in the Assyrian Church of the East, and in Old-Catholic churches, as well as Anglican churches in the administration...
.