Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Guelph)

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Exterior view of the basilica
Interior of the church

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception ( English Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate ) is a neo-Gothic church in Guelph in the Canadian province of Ontario . The Roman Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Hamilton has the titles of a minor basilica and a National Historic Site of Canada .

history

The local founder John Galt reserved the high, central building site for a Catholic church in 1827 out of appreciation for Bishop Alexander Macdonell . The first wooden church was built in 1835 and dedicated to St. Patrick. But it burned down as early as 1844. The construction of the following Bartholomäuskirche began immediately and was completed in 1846. The construction of today's stone church began in 1877. It was designed by the Irish architect Joseph Connolly based on the model of Cologne Cathedral and built from local limestone. It is considered to be Connolly's best work. The church was completed in 1888 and dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The twin towers, which reach a height of over 61 m, were only completed on November 13, 1926. The church was declared a cultural monument in 1990 . Pope Francis elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica on December 8, 2014.

architecture

The monumental three-aisled basilica was built on the plan of a cruciform church in the Victorian-Neo-Gothic style with French-Neo-Gothic elements. The soaring vaulted ceiling leads to the sides of the upper aisle windows connected with stitch caps . A rose window opens between the two church towers and a roof turret rises above the crossing . The polygonal apse of the choir is surrounded by a chapel wreath. The church furnishings include carvings and stained glass made by skilled craftsmen. The organ was installed by Casavant Frères with around 2400 pipes on the gallery around the rose window.

In the urban planning of Guelph, the lines of sight to and from the basilica are kept free, and the maximum height is also limited by the building of the church.

Web links

Commons : Basilica of the Immaculate Conception  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate on gcatholic.org
  2. ^ The Autobiography of John Galt. London 1833, p. 61
  3. ↑ a b Église Our Lady Immaculate . In: Organs in Canada (English)
  4. ↑ a b Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception National Historic Site of Canada (English)

Coordinates: 43 ° 32 '35.2 "  N , 80 ° 15' 4.3"  W.