St. Mary's Cathedral

Introduction

Saint Mary's Cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne was built in the 1840s to a neo-Gothic design by architect August Welby Pugin. St Mary's is a Grade I listed building.

History

It was first a parish church and became the cathedral of the newly created diocese in 1850. It was paid for by halfpenny donations from the poorest community of immigrants on Tyneside. It was enhanced in the following decades by bequests from the Dunn family, especially by the addition of a steeple. The spire was added in 1872.

Modern windows 5, 6, 7, 18 and 19 replace earlier stained-glass destroyed in the Second World War. Martin Ballinger (d.2007) paid for the new floor and the organ installed in 2012–13.

Architecture and furnishings

The organ was built by Kenneth Tickell of Northampton in 2012–13. The baptismal font was relocated in 2012 when the Cathedral's new floor was constructed. The tomb of Fr John Eyre (d.1842) is in the cathedral. The bishop's chair was carved by woodcarver Ralph Hedley (1848–1913).

The burial slab from the grave of Fr John Worswick (d.1843) is in the cathedral; he is buried under the main sanctuary. The organ case is of oak with painted and gilded panels, designed to be sympathetic to Pugin's architecture, with front pipes of polished tin and carved lime wood pipe shades depicting flowers associated with the Virgin Mary. The organ has mechanical (tracker) key actions with an electric stop action and piston system.

Confessionals were constructed in 2013. Some original floor-tiles can be seen near the confessionals. The high altar was originally in the Lady Chapel. The ambo or lectern was originally part of the pulpit.

The predella and reredos were formerly the high altar. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel screen bears the Latin words Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy). The Lady Chapel window depicts Our Lady, St George and St John the Apostle. The Great east window depicts the Tree of Jesse, showing kings and prophets of the Old Testament.

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel window depicts Jesus the Bread of Life with Seraphim. Window 5 depicts The Road to Emmaus and Peter jumping into the water. Window 6 depicts the Crucifixion and Empty Tomb. Window 7 depicts the Last Supper and the works of charity.

Window 8 depicts doubting Thomas saying 'My Lord and my God'. Window 9 depicts St Peter receiving the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Window 10 depicts St Stephen, the first martyr, being questioned by the council and then stoned to death. Window 11 depicts the Assumption of Our Lady.

Window 12 depicts St George, St Joseph and St Benedict. Window 13 is a Crucifixion, the Elzabeth Dunn memorial window. Window 16 depicts St Jane with Jane Dunn and St George with George Dunn. Window 17 depicts John the Baptist and Christ as king.

Window 18 depicts Adam Wakenshaw VC. Window 19 depicts North-East industrial heritage.

Music and liturgy

The Cathedral Choir has existed in its present form since 2000, when Howard Baker (1954-2017) became its director. The Cathedral Choir's repertoire spans the full range of Catholic music, from early Latin plainsong to modern religious songs, and includes traditional polyphony.

The Music Group is an open ensemble of people of various ages who sing and play a variety of instruments together. Howard Baker served as Director of Music at the Cathedral from 2000 to 2017.

The organ has moved from the west end to the sanctuary at the east end, then to a place in the nave, and finally back to a gallery at the west end. The cloister is adjacent to the Cloister Café and Pauline Books & Media.