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International Art Treasures Web Magazine March 2005 |
St. Michael's CathedralArchitecture in Toronto developed as the city was born and grew. The oldest building in Toronto that is still used for its original purposes is St. Michael's Cathedral. The growing diocese of Kingston formerly included Toronto (then known as York). Pope Gregory XVI split the diocese and selected Father Michael Power to be the first Bishop of what was then known as the Diocese of Western Upper Canada in 1841. This predated Canadian confederation which wouldn't occur until July 1, 1867.
Bishop Power had the authority to choose the Episcopal seat of this new diocese and his selection was Toronto. Briefly, the former St. Paul's Church, constructed in 1822, was made a Cathedral. However it was far too small and a Cathedral was needed for Toronto. Bishop Power purchased land in what would eventually become the heart of downtown Toronto to build a Cathedral. The seller was Peter McGill, nephew of John McGill. The cost of the real estate was £1,800 of which £500 came from the Bishop himself. There were rumblings that the chosen land, formerly know as McGill Square, was not close enough to the center of Toronto. However in modern days it is within walking distance of the financial, shopping, art and entertainment areas of Toronto. John ElmsleyA judge's son, John Elmsley was born in 1801. He converted to Catholicism upon his marriage. He was a former captain in the British Navy and eventually a leading public figure in Toronto. Elmsley, along with Samuel G. Lynn, headed the Cathedral's Building Fund. Each man used their personal estates as collateral to allow the consecration to take place in 1848. The Cathedral's architect was William Thomas. Elmsley had visited England and greatly admired York Minster and influenced Bishop Power to achieve a similar view for the Toronto Cathedral. St. Michael's is not a recreation, but an imitation, of the gothic style of the Minster. The Cathedral was constructed between 1845 and 1848. The 260 foot Spire was added later and was consecrated on October 21, 1866. It's designer was Henry Langley. St. John's Chapel, was constructed at the end of the 19th Century it was used for mass during the cold Toronto winters when it took too long to heat the larger Cathedral. Gothic churches tend to be large and built to draw one's eyes upwards towards heaven. The Cathedral includes the stained glass windows, rose windows and spire traditionally associated with Gothic churches but not the flying buttresses, given it's building material were centuries ahead of those used in the 14th Century or so of Gothic architecture.
The cornerstone of St. Michael's Cathedral contains tiny wooden pieces from the roof of York Minster and pieces from a stone pillar of the older Norman version of York Minster. These pieces date to 1340 from York Minster's reconstruction. Before entering the Cathedral from the main West Entrance on Bond Street there are two small sculptures beside the central doors. The right is Saint Paulinus the first Bishop of Northumbria and the first Archbishop of York. The left is King Edwin who was the first Christian King of Northumbria in England. York Minster
The Archangel Michael
And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; And the dragon fought and his angels,These Revelations passages describe the role given to the archangel Michael, who is often depicted in battle with a dragon, illustrating the scripture verses. St. Michael's Cathedral has an impressive painting of Michael battling a fierce dragon found near the Confessionals. Bishop-Count de CharbonnelAt first reluctant to be Bishop of Toronto, Count de Charbonnel journeyed to Rome to make a personal appeal against the appointment to Pope Pius IX. The appeal failed and on May 26, 1850, in the Sistine Chapel, Pope Pius IX consecrated Armand-François-Marie de Chabron de Charbonnel.
Helena sent the cross to Rome. Four pieces of the true cross are among the relics at St. Michael's. One in the Steeple's cross, two in the sacristy and one, the largest, is found before the Pietà Statue. The last relic has an interesting history. King Richard the Lion-Hearted found a large relic of the True Cross during the Crusades. It remained in England until Tudor times. There was uncertainty during Henry VIII's reign given his desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he could legally marry Anne Boleyn. Catherine fought Henry's wish, not to save her marriage, but to keep their daughter Mary's legitimate right to the throne of England. If, as Henry wished, the marriage did not occur then Mary's birthright was gone. It was illegal for an illegitimate child to take the throne of England. Though this law Henry himself would alter having a healthy illegitimate son and two legitimate daughters. Henry's desire for a male heir was well known, and with the birth of Edward, he finally had a legitimate son and heir. During this time the Catholics of England feared the loss and destruction of their relics, with good reason. Once Henry did not receive a Papal annulment he declared himself head of the Church of England and confiscated all Catholic properties, churches, relics and gold deciding that they belonged to the King. However, the relic discovered by King Richard was smuggled from the Tower of London, eventually ending up in Ghent. In 1949 the Bishop of Ghent gave pieces of this relic of the True Cross to two visiting Canadians including the future Archbishop Pocock of Toronto. The Archbishop subsequently gave his relic to St. Michael's Cathedral in 1981. Bishop de Charbonnel was responsible for much of the interior beautification of the Cathedral. He often turned to his personal family wealth to pay for items associated with the Cathedrals that the new St. Michael's lacked.
The East Windows
Etienne Thevenot, known for his Parisian stained glass work at Notre Dame, was commissioned to produce the three East Windows. Made in France they were shipped to Toronto and installed in 1858. The image depicted is that of the crucifixion with Jesus and two thieves looking down on a gathered crowd including his mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Roman Soldiers and others. Angels are shown holding chalices to capture the blood. The large rose window depicts a chalice and on either side of this are an image of the sun and the moon. Symbols are rife such as a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle representing each of the four gospel writers in turn. The East Windows of St. Michael's are among the largest stained glass windows in North America. The Side ChapelsSacred Heart of Jesus Side Chapel is found on the south side of the Cathedral. Each of the twelve apostles are represented in reredos using oak statues.
It faces the Northern Side Chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.
Vaclav VacaThe artist, Vaclav Vaca, explains his involvement with the artistic projects at the church. "I was a parishioner at St. Michael's Cathedral where I met Monsignor Robitaille who was then attempting to repair a Christmas crèche. I repainted all of the statues and also added a background painting in the box surrounding the crèche, depicting the entire history of the Christian faith beginning with Adam and Eve in Paradise through both testaments. We had an excellent working relationship and the following year we worked on the Side Altars."
The artist gives credit where it is due adding that the idea behind the large work of the Side Chapel belongs to the then rector at the Cathedral. "Monsignor Robitaille wanted to add a large painting behind the shrine to complement the statue." Vaclav continues, "The chosen themes included the Gate of Heaven, The Morning Star, The Seat of Wisdom along with angels holding representations of four Marian shrines. The idea is not to merely be a work of art but have religious significance where anyone can pray." He discusses the breadth of the undertaking. "The project took five months. I worked in a makeshift studio across from the Cathedral and used one huge canvas which was then glued to the existing wall. I added the niche and the surrounding Gothic Canopy."
"Monsignor Robitaille was a dynamic and artistic individual who believed that art and religion should work together. Over the years it has been a thrill for me to enter the church and see people who look at the paintings and pray. To them it isn't a work of art but part of the church and in a way part of their life." "I was born in Czechoslovakia. My earliest influences came from the village church, a beautifully painted Baroque church. The images always fascinated me. It wasn't until I came to Canada that I started to paint and I haven't stopped!" Vaclav's art is also found outside of St. Michael's Cathedral. The artist explains that, "I am preparing for a group show at the DeLeon White Gallery March 31 to April 23, 2005. It is being organized by my friend Moshe Hammer who is bringing together a group of artists." Vaclav adds, "There is another exhibition scheduled for January 2006 at the Saginaw Art Museum in Michigan." Artwork
The art and architecture of St. Michael's Cathedral is one of many reasons to visit and enjoy the splendor of this impressive building in Toronto. Footnote 1 Revelations 12: 7-9, The Holy Bible, King James Version, Collins, Great Britain. |
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