Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption (Covington, Kentucky)

St. Mary's Church and Cathedral During the early 19th century, the Catholics in Covington did not have their own church. They relied on visiting priests from the Diocese of Cincinnati. In 1834, Bishop John Baptist Purcell dedicated St. Mary's Church, the first parish in the city. The parish in 1851 purchased another property in Covington for a larger church. Two years later, in 1853, Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Covington and named George Aloysius Carrell as its first bishop. Carrell designated the unbuilt St. Mary's Church to be St. Mary's Cathedral. The cornerstone for the cathedral was laid in 1953 and it was completed soon after. By 1868, the growing diocese needed a larger cathedral. However, it was forced to postpone its planning for 17 years In 2020, the diocese undertook repairs and restorations of the cathedral structure. Buttresses were reinforced outside the building, Rusty iron pins were replaced in the colonnades, lintels and armatures. The gargoyles on the exterior were also replaced. In June 2021, the diocese installed 24 statues in the empty niches at the main entrance of the cathedral, completing the original plan for its façade. They were designed by the American artist Neilson Carlin. == Cathedral interior ==

The interior of St. Mary's Basilica Cathedral was modeled after Basilica of St. Denis in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, in France. It contains murals by the American artist Frank Duveneck. The high altar was carved from Carrara marble. The floors are covered with Rosata and Breche marble. • The upper portion of the window depicts the Coronation of Mary after her assumption into heaven. • The lower portion depicts the Council of Ephesus in present-day Turkey in 431 CE. Pipe organs The cathedral has two pipe organs, along with a one-manual, 20-rank portable organ for use in various parts of the sanctuary. Willis pipe organ The south transept gallery holds the four-manual Willis pipe organ. It was designed by Henry Willis III at the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois. This organ was blessed on February 12, 1933. The original pipe organ had a three-manual console with 43 ranks of pipes. However, the Aultz-Kersting Pipe Organ Company of Cincinnati renovated the Willis pipe organ in 1982 and enlarged it to four-manuals with 65 ranks. Schwab pipe organ The west transept gallery holds the two-manual Schwab organ. It was originally built for St. Joseph Church in Covington in 1858 by Mathias Schwab of Cincinnati, Ohio. When St. Joseph was razed in 1970, the diocese moved the Schwab organ to St Mary's. It was altered to fit the new gallery, but it retained the original mechanical key and stop actions, ivory keyboards and faux-grained casework. The Schwab pipe organ contains 21 ranks. St. Paul Relics Chapel The St. Paul Relics Chapel is located under the baldachin inside the cathedral. It contains a selection of relics from the diocesan collection. Its principle relics include: • The purported carpal bone of the Apostle Paul • The purported ulna and radius bones of Arnold of Arnoldsweiler, an 8th-century saint from the Holy Roman Empire • Two purported skull relics from the 1,000 virgin martyrs of St. Ursula, an English woman from the 4th century == Cathedral exterior ==

Facade The cathedral exterior is constructed of Bedford stone, with the roofs are covered with red Ludowici tile. The structure measures , and the nave reaches a height of . Four additional statues reside on niches located on the front buttresses of the cathedral. From north to south they depict the following saints: • Thomas More – English theologian of the 15th century • Paul the Apostle – Evangelist of the 1st century CE • St Peter – Apostle of Jesus • Elizabeth of Hungary – Hungarian princess of the 13th century Main entrance statues Each statute honors parishes and institutions located within the diocese. The statues were sculpted from Bedford stone. They include the following saints: • John the Baptist – the prophet who baptized Jesus • St. Barbara – Greek martyr of the Middle Ages • James the Great – Apostle of Jesus • Agnes of Rome – Roman teenage martyr in the 4th century CE • William of York – English archbishop during the 11th century • St. Timothy – Greek bishop of Ephesus in the 1st century CE From left to right, the eight additional statues depict the following saints: • Pope Pius X – Italian pope of the early 20th century • St. Patrick – Patron saint of Ireland from the 5th century • Benedict of Nursia – Italian monk who founded the Benedictine Order in the 5th century • St Joseph – Earthly father of Jesus • St. Boniface – English Benedictine monk of the 8th century • Emperor Henry II – German ruler of the Holy Roman Empire in the 11th century • Catherine of Siena – Italian doctor of the church from the 14th century • Charles Borromeo – Italian cardinal from the 16th century Tympanums A tympanum of the Coronation of Mary is located above the southernmost doors.of the cathedral From left to right, the statues depict the following saints: • Augustine of Hippo – Roman theologian from the 5th century CE • Thérèse of Lisieux – French religious sister of the 19th century • St . Anne – Maternal grandmother of Jesus • Bernard of Clairvaux – Burgundian co-founder of the Knights Templar from the 12th century • Rose of Lima – Peruvian religious sister of the 17th century • John the Evangelist – Reputed author of the Gospel of John from the 1st century CE A tympanum depicting the Assumption of Mary sits above the central doors, with a statue of Mary presiding between them. File:St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption interior.JPG|Interior looking toward the chancel (2006) File:St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption (Covington, Kentucky), interior, sanctuary.jpg|Cathedra and altar (2011) File:Covington Coronation Window.jpg|Stained glass window in north transept.(2018) File:Covington Cathedral 11.jpg|Central entrance portal (2023) File:St. Mary - Covington 09.jpg|Rectory (2023) File:Covington Cathedral Parish offices.jpg|Parish offices (2023) File:Cathedral basilica of the assumption covington diocese foto by andy hemmer cincinnati.jpg|Central entrance portal (2014) ==See also==