Rosary Cathedral of the Diocese of Toldeo, Ohio

The skyline most people envision when they think of the city of Saint Louis is the classic westward view of the Gateway Arch with the Old Courthouse.  Interestingly enough, each of Saint Louis's unique neighborhoods has its own skyline - each topped with at least one church spire piercing the sky.  For today's blog post we will travel to the Old West End of Toledo, Ohio and visit a church whose architectural and artistic beauty rivals that of any of the venerable churches of Saint Louis: Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral.

Entering 'Rosary Cathedral' on a snowy December day.  This is an entrance on the side of the church where Saints and past leaders, defenders, and propagators of the Catholic faith greet worshippers and visitors.

One of the aforementioned statues holding a palm branch, indicating this Saint was martyred.

More of the statues standing outside one of the entrances to Rosary Cathedral.

The interior of Rosary Cathedral.  Some of the photos may be blurry due to your blogger's lack of tripod.  In order to reduce blurriness, quicker shutter speeds were used which darkened many of the photos.  I did try my best to adjust some of the photos so that they represent the most accurate and realistic depiction of the color, light, and dramatic presence of the features of this magnificent church.

The sanctuary of Rosary Cathedral decorated for Christmas.

Crucifix hanging above the sanctuary.  In the background is a mural depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary being crowned Queen of Heaven by Father, Son, & Holy Spirit (Mary can be seen in the photo below).  Also pictured are choirs of angels and saints rejoicing with the words "ECCLESIA TRIUMPHANS" - "Church Triumphant."

Another view of the upper sanctuary: crucifix in the foreground, the very top of the baldachin on the lower right, and mural of Mary being crowned Queen of Heaven on upper right.

The pulpit of Rosary Cathedral was carved of white oak by August Schmidt in Cologne, Germany.  Here we see the pulpit surrounded by Christmas decorations, including poinsettias, Christmas trees, and a beautifully detailed nativity scene.

A closer look at the canopy above the pulpit, also called an "ambo."  Four Doctors of the Church are carved into the pulpit: Saints Gregory, Augustine, Jerome, and Ambrose.  A fifth figure is found in the canopy: Saint John the Evangelist.

Altar of Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus, and patron of the Universal Church.

Blessed Virgin Altar with a statue of Mary as Queen of Peace.

A few of the many stained glass windows lining the sides of Rosary Cathedral.

One of the many chandeliers illuminating the large cathedral; the height from floor to ceiling is about 96 feet.

In the nave of the cathedral, looking towards the 28 ft. diameter "Children's Rose Window," named after the children of the Toledo Diocese who donated $25,000 in pennies towards completion of the window. The center of the window shows Mary holding Child Jesus, while the sections of the window extending outward depict scenes of Mary's life.  Below the Rose Window is a painting known as the "Dormition of Mary", a scene depicting Mary's death and the Assumption.  Above the Rose Window is the "Creatio Mundi", a fresco depicting the first chapter of Genesis.  Seven blue stained glass windows can be seen below the Dormition fresco - these are seven women who are prophetic or imitative figures of the Blessed Virgin: Eve, Rebecca, Ruth, Esther, and Judith as Old Testament prophetic figures of Mary, while Saint Theresa and Saint Rosa of Lima represent imitative figures of Mary.

The images I share on this post represent a very small amount of the art, architecture, and history of the Catholic Church and Diocese of Toledo.  Such an impressive collection of liturgical art resides in this cathedral that I could not do it justice in one trip (let alone without a tripod).  As always, stay tuned and thanks for reading!

Added March 15, 2011:
Enjoy a few more photos of the exterior of this majestic church:

And one last photo from the interior of the church: