With Christmas trees blazing with white lights as a backdrop, several area musical performers took center stage on Dec. 7 as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception hosted its annual Christmas Concert. This year Cathedral rector, Msgr. Neal Quartier, acknowledged past rectors by introducing them and giving them a commemorative DVD that features a tour of the historic worship site. The three former rectors are Msgr. John McGraw, Father James O’Brien and Father Joseph Champlin. Performers included the Cathedral Choir, the Candlelight String Quartet, Liverpool High School Chorus, Ringers of Praise hand bell choir, True Fellowship Ecumenical Choir and a group of cantors who chose selections as well. Cathedral music director Duane Sutton accompanied many of the musicians.
Msgr. Quartier noted that he has lived at the rectory at the Cathedral for 26 years so he knows all three of the honored rectors personally.
“In 1981, I was homeless after a sabbatical and Father John McGraw took me in,” Msgr. Quartier joked. “That’s when I first fell in love with this wonderful building.”

The Cathedral has a rich historical story that has been captured in DVD format by Father Gregory Golyzniak, parochial vicar of the Cathedral, and Cathedral historian Edward Long. The DVD, Knowing Your Cathedral, is now available for purchase through the gift shop and the parish office. The filmed tour includes information about the incredible stained glass windows made by Mayer of Munich in the late 1800s, the main altar containing two first class relics, one from St. Catherine of Laboure and the other from St. John Neumann, the crypt under the Cathedral proper and many more architecturally intriguing highlights. The church was formally dedicated as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on March 13, 1904, during the tenure of the diocese’s first ordinary, Bishop Patrick Ludden. Historian Long has devoted a good deal of time to leading tours through the Cathedral. He often guides school children through the church which leads to questions from the youngsters who may or may not have a Catholic background. Long said he loves taking the youngsters on the tour and introducing them to Catholic history on a local level. The new DVD will afford everyone the opportunity to take the tour.

“Like a tour, the DVD gives you a taste of everything,” Long said. “With Father Gregory’s video you can see detail on the stained glass windows that you couldn’t ordinarily see. You see the remnants of the old bath house that was behind the original St. Mary‘s Church. Bishop Ludden bought that property and had it demolished. The tour explains the coat of arms heralding the popes, the coat of arms of our bishops and much, much more detail.”

Long explained the DVD also features interviews with people connected to the Cathedral. Father Golyzniak worked with Long on the project for approximately one year taking photos, editing and interviewing and creating the cover art on the DVD case. “The Cathedral is an icon in our diocese,” Father Golyzniak said. “Now our bishop has something to give other bishops who might come to visit. We have almost 3,000 visitors to our cathedral every year and every Sunday groups come for a live tour. It’s the center of our diocese.”

Text after “Catholic Sun” (Dec. 13-19, 2007)