Cathedral tour take 2

The new high altar and renovated sanctuary 

During Catholic Schools Week, we took our seniors on a tour of the recently renovated St. Joseph Cathedral here in Manchester.  Unfortunately half of the class didn't get to take the tour due to one of the many snow storms we got so we rescheduled their tours for today.  Barbara Miles, the archivist for the Diocese of Manchester, once again did a brilliant job showing the students around and teaching them about the history, architecture, and theology of the cathedral.

Ms. Miles speaking in the chapel

She began by talking about some of the stained glass windows and how they served as teaching tools for those who couldn't read.  She then showed them the new sanctuary area with the recently installed high altar, new paint, the Stations of the Cross, etc.  We then went to the crypt area where many former bishops are buried and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.  Our final stop was the Cathedral Library which despite the name is the former rectory and a former library and is presently a meeting space.  The ceiling of the library has an enormous painting called (I believe) Our Lady of Triumph that Bishop Guertin commissioned after seeing the original in Venice.  There are also ceramic reliefs around the entire perimeter of the building.

Ms. Miles, once again, was a wonderful tour guide and really kept the student's attention (which can be hard, especially second semester seniors celebrating Trinity Week!).  We agreed to do it again next year.