All Souls' Chapel is a historic chapel attached to St. Peter's Cathedral in

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

, Canada. Built of Prince Edward Island sandstone in the

High Victorian Gothic High Victorian Gothic was an eclectic architectural style and movement during the mid-late 19th century. It is seen by architectural historians as either a sub-style of the broader Gothic Revival style, or a separate style in its own right. Prom ...

style of architecture, it overlooks Rochford Square.

History

All Souls' Chapel was built in 1888 as a memorial to Father George Hodgson, the first "priest-incumbent" of St. Peter's Cathedral, to a design by the noted ecclesiastical architect William Critchlow Harris. The chapel's walls feature paintings by his brother, Robert Harris. There are three roundels by Robert Harris set in the front of the altar, depicting, respectively, Christ breaking bread at

Emmaus Emmaus ( ; ; ; ) is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before two of his disciples while they were walking on the road to Emmaus. Although its geograp ...

on the day of his resurrection; the crucifixion of Christ; and Christ administering the chalice to communicants. The arched

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...

is typical of William Harris's style, containing statues of Christ and his apostles. Christ stands in the centre, with St. John and St. James standing to his right and St. Peter to his left, while other apostles, including St. Paul, carry the instruments used to put them to death. A tabernacle containing the

Reserved Sacrament During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the second part of the Mass, the elements of bread and wine are considered to have been changed into the veritable Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The manner in which this occurs is referred to by the term ...

stands behind the altar cross, while to the right of the altar is the credence table on which the bread and wine are placed before the offertory. Around the sanctuary walls are portraits of St. Luke the Evangelist as a memorial to Robert Harris and St. James the Just as a memorial to Canon James Simpson, who played an important role in planning the chapel. The round painting above the reredos is of Christ ascending to Heaven, and has been a treasured

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

to generations of cathedral parishioners. The chapel was built by Lowe Brothers of Charlottetown and the woodwork was carved by Messrs Whitlock and Doull. In 1990, All Souls' Chapel was designated a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada () are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being of national historic significance. Parks C ...

. An exterior plaque in recognition of this designation was dedicated at a special ceremony in July 1994. The chapel had already been designated a heritage resource by the City of Charlottetown in 1979.

References

External links

All Souls' Chapel

The Importance of All Souls' Chapel - PEI government website
{{Prince Edward Island parks National Historic Sites in Prince Edward Island Churches in Charlottetown Anglican church buildings in Prince Edward Island 19th-century Anglican church buildings in Canada Gothic Revival church buildings in Canada Chapels in Canada Churches on the National Historic Sites of Canada register Historic buildings and structures in Prince Edward Island

History

See also

References

External links