St. Joseph's Cathedral - Table of Contents
St. Joseph's Cathedral - Table of Contents
Sanctuary - St. Joseph's Cathedral
AKA St. Joseph's RC Old Cathedral
Definition of sanctuary: The immediate area around the principal altar
The sanctuary, highlighting the altar, constitutes the central focus of the cathedral's cruciform, or cross-shaped, design. The sanctuary walls are reminiscent of the choir screens in European cathedrals.
The windows in the transept and sanctuary were crafted in Munich, Germany.
The focus of the interior is the sanctuary, the highlight of which are the King Ludwig Windows. During his reign, "Mad" King Ludwig, seeking to revive the lost practice of German stained-glass, subsidized studios with public funds. A studio run by the Mayer Family produced the windows for him. Upon their exhibition at the Paris Exposition of 1850, they were declared to be the best in the world. on one of his European journeys, Bishop Timon happened to view the windows and instantly desired them for his cathedral. He asked Ludwig to donate them, a request to which he received a flat refusal. Not one to give up, he repeatedly asked for them. After weeks of pleading, the king consented to his request and allowed the windows to be placed in the cathedral.
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Ribbed vaulting with decorative bosses |
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Rose window encircles a pelican, mystical symbol of the Eucharist |
Three lancet windows: Birth of Jesus, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection |
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Detail of the Birth of Jesus window |
Detail of the Crucifixion window |
Detail of the Resurrection window |
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Statues of the apostles adorn niches above the Gothic spires of the side walls |
