The Pro-cathedral of the Assumption ('Pro' meaning ‘in place of’) is a historical

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

in the city of

North Bay, Ontario North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing. North Bay developed as a railroad centre, and its airport was an important military ...

. The white

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

building, built in 1905, speaks to the history of the city as well as a strong faith community that came together to construct a building of impressive scale and craft for the small city in

Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Provi ...

. The tall church is a landmark, holding a central role as a gathering place, not only for the city, but also for the entire

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie is a cross-border region of Canada and the United States located on St. Marys River, which drains Lake Superior into Lake Huron. Founded as a single settlement in 1668, Sault Ste. Marie was divided in 1817 by the establishment of ...

History

St. Mary’s of the Lake Parish

The first physical church of North Bay can be dated back to 1886, when a small white chapel was built on Main Street West. The new chapel, known as St. Mary's of the Lake, quickly became a central point for the community. The bell was used as a fire alarm as well as a gathering call for important town meetings, while the upper part of the

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

doubled as a school room. Due to an influx in population caused by the expansion of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

, St. Mary's of the Lake quickly became inadequate for the growing community.

New church

The arrival of a new pastor, Father David Joseph Scollard, in 1896, was the catalyst needed for the expansion of the parish. Two years after arriving in North Bay, Father Scollard bought the land that is now the site of the Pro-cathedral. Despite suggestions from parishioners to build the new church up the hill, away from the downtown, Father Scollard saw the downfalls of disconnecting from the center of the community as well as the additional costs that would be required to haul materials up the hill. In the spring of 1903, during a meeting with the bishop, priest, and men of the congregation, plans to build a new stone church were finalized. The following day, the bishop and Father Scollard met with Harry Angus of Thomson and Angus Architects, and asked him to create plans for a new church that would be able to seat a total of 900 people. In early 1904 the contract for the entire project was given to Isaiah Taillefer of Taillefer and Sons, a contracting company from

. Out of thirteen bids, they offered one of the lowest prices and promised to finish the project quickly.

Construction

Only a year and a half after construction began, the new St. Mary's of the Lake was completed, an impressive feat that reflected the skillful craftsmanship of the project. Only days before

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

, on the last Sunday of

Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek ''parousia''. In ...

, December 17, 1905, the new church was blessed and dedicated.

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

came from all over North Bay and the surrounding area, filling the 1100 seats of the building. The final cost was $65,000, including heating, lighting, pews, altars,

stained glass windows Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

, and a large

New name

During the same year that construction began on the new church, the northern part of the Diocese of Peterborough, in which North Bay resided, was sectioned into a new diocese, the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. A

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

is the central church of a diocese and considered the seat of a bishop. Sault Ste. Marie was chosen as the location of the cathedral for the new diocese, due to its geographical centrality. However, the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

chose to reside in North Bay instead. This was for practical reasons, such as the accessibility that the railway provided to the rest of the diocese, but also due to a personal connection to the new church that had yet to be completed. From this point on, North Bay became the unofficial

Episcopal See An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

for the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, even resulting in discussions to make it official in 1932. However, the motion was defeated due to the funding the change would require. Not long after, this unofficial importance was realized in a change in name; St. Mary's of the Lake was now the Pro-Cathedral of the Assumption, with ‘Pro’ meaning ‘in place of’.

Community involvement

The generosity and sacrifices of the faith community were vital to the completion of the Pro-cathedral. From the beginning, committees worked alongside the clergymen who dedicated their time toward the project. In 1903, during the same meeting that finalized plans to construct the new church, it was agreed that the congregation would assume responsibility for much of the finances. Upon completion, over $30,000 of the $65,000 needed for the project had been collected from the Catholics of North Bay.

Architecture

Style, site, and stone

The Pro-cathedral is built in the Roman

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

form, a style that was historically created as a place for public gatherings. Rectangular in shape, the building stretches longitudinally across the site from South to North, including a grand entrance, a long

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, and

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

. The building sits on iron rod piles of great lengths to combat the weight of the building as well the layers of

quicksand Quicksand is a colloid A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a ...

and thin hardpan that run underneath. The foundation is made out of North Bay

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

stone, the same material that was considered for the

superstructure A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships. Aboard ships and large boats On water craft, the superstruct ...

, but proved to be too costly. Instead, white

was imported from a quarry in

Orillia Orillia is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is in Simcoe County between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Although it is geographically located within Simcoe County, the city is a single-tier municipality. It is part of the Huronia region of Cent ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and John Robertson of North Bay was hired to oversee the stonework. Pro-Cathedral_Steeple

Steeple and stained-glass Windows

As cathedral architecture normally dictates two steeples, the single tower of the pro-cathedral, which is approximately 146 feet in height, is a unique feature. In the 1980s, the steeple underwent major repairs along with the roof and cross. This included repointing the tower, bracing the steeple, and repairing the

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...

. The cross was completely restructured and was lifted by helicopter to the top of the steeple adding an additional 20 feet to the total height. Like the steeple, the

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows have been carefully preserved over the past century. A strong connection exists between these windows and the driven congregation that helped to build the church. Eight windows were gifts from parishioners themselves, including Isaiah Taillefer, the general contractor for the project. The most recent renovation of the Pro-cathedral strove to embrace their beauty and importance, uncovering windows over the

and accenting them with wood sills.

Renovations

Ornamentation

Today, the interior of the pro-cathedral bares a close similarity to how it originally appeared in 1905, with dark carved wood panels and

pew A pew () is a long bench (furniture), bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating Member (local church), members of a Church (congregation), congregation or choir in a Church (building), church, synagogue or sometimes a courtroom. Overview ...

s contrasting to the white plaster on the walls and ceilings. However, when repairs to the plastering were needed in 1923, the church took this as an opportunity to enhance their beloved building, resulting in a $30,000 renovation. As part of the changes, the entire Cathedral was decorated by the Rambush Company Artist of New York. The walls and ceilings were ornately painted and a marble altar,

Baldacchino A baldachin, or baldaquin (from it, baldacchino), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over h ...

, and drapery were added to the sanctuary. Other additions included new

capitals Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

on the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

s and new electric light fixtures and wiring. The interior stayed this way for the next 40 years.

Vatican II

The 1960s were a significant time for the pro-cathedral community but also for

across the globe. Vatican II, a meeting called by

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

, was a controversial

ecumenical council An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters in which those entitled to vote are ...

that restructured

Catholic theology Catholic theology is the understanding of Catholic doctrine or teachings, and results from the studies of theologians. It is based on canonical scripture, and sacred tradition, as interpreted authoritatively by the magisterium of the Catholic ...

, pushing for greater conservative expression and a renewal of purity. In the spirit of this renewal, the Pro-Cathedral underwent a major renovation in 1967, during which the decorated interior of the Pro-cathedral was covered up. The

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

murals on the walls and ceiling were painted over to become pure white, woodwork was removed, and the stained-glass windows in the

were covered in drywall. The

was also removed and the tabernacle was moved into an alcove to the left of the

. This allowed for more

laity In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother. In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson ...

participation as the priest was now able to face the congregation without turning his back to the tabernacle.

Restoration

In 2001, the Cathedral again underwent major renovations and restorations. Many felt that the new interior lacked the warmth and harmony of the old Cathedral.{{Cite book, last=Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, title=The History of a Diocese in Northern Ontario, publisher=Éditions du Signe, year=2014, location=Strasbourg, pages=114 Architect Jean Philippe Larocque of North Bay, was hired to restore the cathedral and bring back what the community had lost. The large carved oak panels. which sat in the

in 1905, were returned to their original place and the

windows that had been covered in the 1960s, were found to be intact under the drywall. New front doors, improved lighting and acoustics, as well as painted decorative touches were also added. The result was subtle, but with a clear acknowledgment towards what the community had loved about the old Cathedral.

Gallery

File:TheresaandPaulDuffy wedding.jpg, alt=August 6, 1952 wedding photo shows the beautiful ornamentation on the walls and ceiling., August 6, 1952 wedding photo shows the beautiful ornamentation on the walls and ceiling. File:DianeFalconi Wedding.jpg, alt=White plaster walls in 1970 wedding photo contrast to the previous ornamentation. Changes were made in the spirit of renewal inspired by Vatican II., White plaster walls in 1968 wedding photo contrast to the previous ornamentation. Changes were made in the spirit of renewal inspired by Vatican II. File:2021 Restored Interior.jpg, alt=Interior of the restored Pro-Cathedral, with the restored oak panels and new lighting, 2021 interior of the Pro-Cathedral, with its restored oak panels and new lighting.

2001 Restoration Gallery

File: File:Nave and Entrance.jpg, alt=View down length of nave, with front entrance, organ, and rose window at end., View down length of nave, with front entrance, organ, and rose window at end. File:Pro-Cathedral Capitals .jpg, alt=Capitals added in 2001 renovation, Capitals added in 1967 and painted in 2001 renovation. File:Pro-cathedral ceiling.jpg, alt=Ceiling of Pro-Cathedral showing new lights and decorative details added by architect Jean Philippe Larocque, Ceiling of Pro-Cathedral showing new lights and decorative details added by architect Jean Philippe Larocque. File:Pro-cathedral lights.jpg, alt=New lighting added in 2001 renovation by architect Jean Philippe Larocque, New lighting added in 2001 renovation by architect Jean Philippe Larocque. File:Uncovered Apse Window.jpg, One of the two windows covered in the 1967 alterations and then uncovered again in 2001.

References

Roman Catholic churches in Ontario Buildings and structures in North Bay, Ontario