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.^[2]

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.^[3] By 1868, the growing diocese needed a larger cathedral. However, it was forced to postpone its planning for 17 years^[2]

The diocese finally began planning for a new cathedral in 1885. They purchased a large property in the center of Covington to serve as the cathedral campus. The diocese hired Detroit architect Leon Coquard to design the new building. He completed his planning in 1893, drawing inspiration from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.^[2] The groundbreaking for the new cathedral was held in 1894 and the cornerstone was laid by Bishop Camillus Paul Maes in 1895.^[2]

St. Mary's Cathedral of the Assumption

Maes dedicated St. Mary's Cathedral of the Assumption in 1901. Due to lack of funds, the diocese was unable to install any stained glass windows at this time. The Madison Avenue façade, designed by the local architect David Davis, was added between 1908 and 1910. The stained glass windows were finally installed in 1910. The planned 52 ft (16 m) towers were not built.^[4][2]

St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption

In 1953, Pope Pius XII elevated the Cathedral of the Assumption to the rank of minor basilica. It is now referred to as the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.^[2]

The diocese in 2002 began a renovation of the cathedral interior to restore the wall plaster and remove decades of soot from candles. The Conrad Schmitt Studios of New Berlin, Wisconsin, cleaned the stone ribs, tracery and walls. Studio artists also restored plaster and select faux stone painting. The restoration the 2002 Preservation Award from the Cincinnati Preservation Association.^[5]

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.^[6] 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.^[7]

Stained glass window

The cathedral contains at 67 ft × 24 ft (20.4 m × 7.3 m). stained glass window in the north transept. Installed in 1911, the window was created by Mayer and Company of Munich, Germany. It was fully restored in 2001.^[8]

• 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.^[9]

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.^[11] 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^[11]

The chapel altar, installed in 2018, is composed of white oak with gilded detailing. It was dedicated in 2021 by Bishop Roger Joseph Foys.^[11]

Bishop Maes Crypt Chapel

In 2019, the remains of Bishop Maes were exhumed from St. Mary's Cemetery and re-interred in a sarcophagus in this chapel in the cathedral. The sarcophagus is made of white and green marble and displays a sculpted figure of Maes on the lid.^[12]

Facade

The cathedral exterior is constructed of Bedford stone, with the roofs are covered with red Ludowici tile. The structure measures 194 ft × 144 ft (59 m × 44 m), and the nave reaches a height of 81 ft (25 m). 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^[7]

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^[7]

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.

• Cathedral images
• 
  Interior looking toward the chancel (2006)
• 
  Cathedra and altar (2011)
• 
  Stained glass window in north transept.(2018)
• 
  Central entrance portal (2023)
• 
  Rectory (2023)
• 
  Parish offices (2023)
• 
  Central entrance portal (2014)