Christ the King Church/St. Patrick's Church/James Street Baptist Church - Hamilton, Ont. AND a Return Visit to Our Lady in Guelph, Ont. - Sept. 5/10

Christ The King Church Hamilton Ont.

Today the city of Hamilton was on the agenda. We planned to be busy - squeezing in visits to Christ the King Cathedral, the home to the Bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton, as well as visits to two Joseph Connolly designed churches, St. Patrick's and the James Street Baptist Church which has the distinction of being the only church designed by Connolly for a non-Catholic patron. We rounded out the day by spontaneously attending a tour of "Our Lady" in Guelph on the way home. Four churches in 6 hours - certainly a record for us and I admit my mind is spinning!

I struggled on how to summarize my experience at the 3 churches in Hamilton. I had never been to Hamilton, and maybe it is really here I need to begin. Hamilton, it seems to me, is a city of contrasts. Image and reality. Rich and poor. Concrete and trees. Water and mountainous stone. I had always pictured Hamilton in my mind much like the "steel capital of Canada" suggests - densely populated, industrialized, with pollution producing manufacturing industries. I wasn't prepared for the stunning vista when driving into the city - the cool blues of Lake Ontario on one side with the deep greens of the trees rising out of the mountain on the other and the city streetscape situated between. I simply wasn't prepared for the beauty of the city's natural location. My friend and I talked about Hamilton and we realized that while it is true steel has played a very important role in the history and development of this city, there is much more to Hamilton than it's nickname suggests. They have a university (McMaster) and college (Mohawk) and a world-renowned teaching hospital, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Dundurn Castle and the highly regarded national newspaper "The Globe and Mail". Industry, yes. But also health sciences and education and the arts and history and a beautiful natural setting that can truly rival any city in Canada.

Where do the churches fit into all of this? There again, by way of contrasts. While they all share the Gothic revival style, almost there the similarities end. Christ the King Cathedral is situated on the beautiful mountain entering the city and where Bishop John McNally announced in 1931 "We will have the finest church in Canada". It dominates the western entrance to the city. St. Patrick's Church, once home to the Bishop before the building of Christ the King, is in the heart of the very urban, almost gritty, downtown core at one time the east end of Hamilton. We were startled to see bars on business windows and locking mechanisms on car steering wheels. James Street Baptist church is located only a few blocks away in the same neighbourhood.

Christ the King has smooth limestone on it's walls from Indiana and the Ontario Credit Valley and, as the description in the church bulletin says "it is stately, solid and serene". St. Patrick's and James Street Baptist basic building material is rough hammered dressed stone with finished stone reserved for around windows and doors only. Smooth and rough.

But why focus on contrasts - perhaps it is better to think about similarities. If seating Catholics and Baptists at the same table, it is always more useful to concentrate on what brings us together, not what separates us. We didn't have a chance to visit the interior of James Street Baptists. However, the interiors of Christ the King and St Patrick's share many common features. The central nave, the flanking isles, the Gothic arches, the stained glass, the massive supporting pillars to name a few. But more than this - they both provide inspiration and consolation in the serenity of their walls.

Christ the King because it beacons the wonderment and light of our faith from it's position on the mount. St. Patrick's because it stands it's ground in the very toughest part of the city. It reaches into the deepest and blackest part of the night and lights a candle. Yes, maybe they aren't so different after all.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Miss M.



Choosing Battles and Soup Lines

Plans of travelling to Hamilton and attending two Joseph Connolly creations were expanded to include a total of no less than four churches. I walked away from my house today at 4 am to pick up my wheels for the day. I had went to bed at midnight, fell asleep fairly easily and then woke on the hour for 4 hours finally giving up on a night’s rest at 0400. The early morning autumn air felt good and I was perused by only one passing police cruiser on my brisk walk. I loaded my cooler and clothes and left for the day a little before 5 am. With a little more than one half hour of driving ahead to pick up my travelling companion my only concern was that I had to come up with some way to ditch 1.5 hours.

Joseph Connolly, an Irish born Architect was a prominent figure in the business of church building in the 1800's. He was proliferate, having either constructed or refurbished over 40 churches in North America. His life's work is the backdrop of this journey. I have since a child growing up in Southern Ontario, always admired from afar mind you, the big Gothic church that can be seen from the 403 as it winds through Hamilton Ontario. This building is something out of a book and for the onlooker it has a magical quality that has to be felt to be appreciated. I convinced my friend and travelling companion to join me on a journey to see , discover and photograph these buildings. Before Hamilton we had attended eight churches of which four were Connolly creations including a Cathedral. To be a true Cathedral, a church or basilica must also be the seat of the Bishop and St. Peter's Basicala in London is just that. The trip today has been planned and delayed for awhile. The travelling to Hamilton and Toronto in order to see a Gothic building is time consuming and we thought it would be better to take in two churches in Hamilton in the same morning. That would leave leisurely travel time on the return trip.

For over forty years I have been awe struck by buildings and the way they are impactive on us. As a small boy I remember attending the post office in downtown Brantford with my father and seeing the banker drawer oak walls, seas of green Terrazzo flooring and massive Ash window frames. The "green leak" that is telltale copper flashing onto stone or limestone that is oozing it's liquid core down the side of a building has always caught my eye. The "green leak " can be seen in any gorge where rock and water live in close proximity. My favourite source of this natural occurrence is on Government buildings that are made of Quarry slab and are perfectly square and stately. These buildings garner respect and give off the feeling of being grounded and are a haven to the eye. The church that is atop the Hamilton Mountain is no exception. The Niagara Escarpment makes up her bed, her position is serene to us and obsequious towards the heavens. Her mandate, like all churches is clear and she fulfills this willingly. The building of course is Christ The King Cathedral in Hamilton Ontario.

I ventured out of Stratford towards Kitchener much too early in anticipation of the day. I either wake entirely too early or much too late to do anything productive so at a little before 5 am I was happily driving eastbound in a borrowed car to pick my friend up. After swapping cars we got under way and travelled to Hamilton down highway 6, an old Ontario road that links more than a dozen small towns in Southern Ontario. It was most likely the same path that our mentor for this adventure took . Connolly built churches in Hamilton and Our Lady in Guelph and either took the train or travelled this or another similar road to his destination. He was the architect who designed St. Patrick's in Hamilton. In 1875 the Baptists in the Hamilton area approached him saying that he being an Irish Catholic didn't bother them and they would like very much for him to design a church for them. Connolly obliged them and designed James Street Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist Church in Ontario. As we neared Hamilton my friend reiterated that the images of St. Patrick’s were not all that impressive, that the uppermost portion of her steeple was missing. I couldn't understand how a church as magnificent as the one that looked upon me every summer as we drove home from vacation and countless times as an adult I drove under her on the 403 was left to ruin. We came in from the west and as we crested yet another valley I noticed St. Patrick's in all her Gothic splendor. I circled in and drove the one way streets to navigate closer to her. I found the driveway tucked away on the side street off King St. and approached from the east. There she was, partly shaded with the early sun on her top most bell house. This church didn't have steeples so my friend was wrong ...or was she? I drove up to the church and read her placard. Christ The King Cathedral. Hmm that isn't right. What is going on here? I was wrong! All this time I had been telling people that an Irishman named Joseph Connolly had built St. Patrick's in Hamilton and it was a Cathedral ( all true ) . I also told them that this building at the top of the mountain was in fact St. Patrick's ( not true at all). The Cathedral or Bishop's seat was moved a few times in the Hamilton Diocese and whenever that happened a new Cathedral was born and the old one became a church. I felt as stupid as I had been, not doing the research on this. My friend brushed it off and told me that she was celebrating mass here because it was the Cathedral of her Diocese . So we had to fly here if we were going to photograph St. Patrick's and James Street Baptist and then return here for mass. We quickly left after photographing this magnificent structure and running down the driveway to the bottom of the mountain with a camera in my hand I was perused by only 2 police cruisers.

Christ The King east wall early am sun


Christ The King Church Hamilton Ontario

The drive to St. Patrick's was uneventful through early Sunday am downtown Hamilton and we entered the way of the rear driveway. The Irish builder jumped at me as soon as I laid eyes on the building. The front of this old building is surrounded by pavement and there is a basketball hoop within 12 feet of the head.
The building is not true on a east/west axis but walking around to the rear of the church I could see images of Limerick Ireland before my eyes. Connolly took this one from home. This building is in incredibly good shape for the age and level of maintenance. There was scaffolding erected on the back wall of the church and pails from Mason's were upside down on the planking. I could see telltale signs of very industrious renovations going on and felt a pang of guilt for not helping. The heavy short main door in the very thin but wide Narthex was closed and locked and this made me swivel my head to see where I was. Connolly put this church up on the East end of Hamilton for Irish parishioners that worked in the iron mills on lake Ontario. It would have been new and fresh perhaps even "Kinkora" in nature. There is a valley and mountains in a bay on a lake named Ontario. You can drink the water from the streams and eat the fish from the lake. It is 1877 and this building has just been completed. The Bishop of the Diocese has his seat here and the industrial age is about to hit any day now. Thirty five miles to the southwest a Scottish immigrant to Canada by the name of Bell has invented something quite unique. He is in Tutela Heights , a small hamlet burg of Brantford and his telephone is going to bring changes they say.

Front of St. Patrick's Hamilton Ontario

Rear Of St. Patrick's Church Hamilton

After photographing the exterior of St. Patrick's we decided to at least see James Street Baptist. I drove over quickly, the distance not being a factor more-so the configuration of one way streets being difficult for new users. James Street Baptist Church is situated right across from the Family Y which still lets rooms by the look of the male transient traffic. I instinctively took stock of my surroundings once again and started to photograph this building. Having a shiny camera in my hands and being distracted by the threat of theft and oncoming traffic was a determining factor in the quality and number of photographs.

James Street Streetscape

There were 3 structures in very close proximity that I would have liked to investigate. James Street Baptist Church which is a true Connolly right down to the ornate stone work and cinquefoils with stained glass, St, Paul's Presbyterian Church which is right beside the Baptist church and had spires that were incredible and rounding out this block, the very top to a skyscraper that someone had put a crown of sorts upon. The Baptist Church is steady in between hydro transformers, a smaller 1960 Ontario service style building and the corner. After photographing this church we decided to return once again to St. Patrick's to discover more and possibly photograph the interior.

St. Patrick's Church had her doors open upon our return and entering we felt at home. This church is truly a 13th century neo Gothic style church. Massive pillars hold up flying buttresses in this small church. The front of the church has a beautiful "Rose" window and a multitude of small stained "rosettes" in cinquefoils in the clerestory.

St. Patrick's Church Hamilton Ont.

If you look up Limerick Ireland images the sides of this building will be displayed. Joseph Connoly took this building's design right from his birthplace and childhood and transformed it here for the day's mostly Irish congregates. We photographed silently and then sat in different pews absorbing in our own style what we wanted from this beautiful building. The elderly crowd that was gathering acknowledged us and bade us well. There was a pair of gentlemen that sat in the most rearward bench, both leaning on canes , dressed in grey flannel suit coats and hats. They looked at home here and nodded in agreement on both our arrival and departure. We left feeling a little overwhelmed by the volume of information we had received thus far in the day.

We had to return to Christ The King Cathedral for mass and doing so we met some very nice people. Upon arrival I parked and then realized I had parked badly. This church parking lot was going to get extremely busy after mass and we would be stuck if I didn't turn the car around. I backed into a spot and then realized I had interrupted a lady trying to do the same maneuver. We met Angela who was going to do choir work and we informed her of our journey. She immediately told us that we should meet the church's webmaster Mike Perron which she hailed from his greeting duties. We met Mike who very cordially told us of the church's history and invited us to enjoy our stay. He and his family have been coming to this church for 12 years and travel every Sunday from neighboring Brantford. As you walk in the rear side doors the size of this building is what really grabs you. You feel instantly safe and humbled all at once. This church is true Gothic with stantions and buttress standing on columns that go into the earth some unknown distance. She is 235 feet long and 72 feet wide and this church, built in only 2 years used steel in her framing. With the introduction of steel in construction the Architects could push previous parameters aside to allow for bigger, wider and stronger buildings.

From the choir interior Christ The King




Her massive ceilings are a maze of framing and plaster. The columns come out of the mountain and push towards the heavens and hold up not only the roof but also full stone block walls in the clerestory! The arches are an amazing tribute to builders of the past and looking at the expansive ceiling I envisioned this church being able to float in water if turned over on its roof. The ribbing is superior to the finest of all wooden sailing ships for strength durability and grandeur. The windows in the clerestory are exquisite and go on seemingly forever. The Apse and Sanctuary is made from beautiful marble. The church's website states the Stations of the Cross were carved from a single piece of marble and is of the same material that Michelangelo worked from.

This building was dedicated in 1933 a very short two years after her inception. At an original cost of one million dollars it took an army of workers to complete her. The start of construction was just two years into the depression and with soup lines forming everywhere in North America , this venture was a bold one indeed. The major work force in Hamilton in 1931 was in fact the huge influx of Italian immigrants that came in 1910 to 1914. Neither before nor after this was the number of Italians landing on our shores as high in such a short period of time. These immigrants felt that they may be able to garner special attention from the Bishop if they built him a church of great stature. There was very little employment in the country and inflation ruled the economy. In between wars the nation was truly in a dark period and the Bishop of the day was building a church that would be unrivaled in Canada. This act of faith alone would have produced more of the same and inspiration in troubled times. The largest bell in the bell house "The Bourdon" was donated by the Prime Minister of Canada.

The Church's Rector Rev. Edward House a Cape Bretoner by birth gave a very memorable sermon and has a likable approach to the gospel. He spoke of choosing battles that are winnable and the negotiating the terms of peace in the event of a loss. After mass I introduced myself to the church's organist and asked if I could attend the balcony. The organ with its massive pipes is housed up there and the view is incredible. Looking to the back you can see the "Rose" window and to the front you can see the altar with a special view. The clerestory is quite visible from the choir stands and the attention to detail in the original build is apparent. The construction of this massive structure in just two years is an amazing feat. We left the church after mass had ended and photographed the exterior. We met a fellow by the name of Mike Marion who was a fountain of knowledge not only about the church and her beginnings, but also the town’s economic and genealogical history. Upon leaning on the cement railing at the rear of the church I could not see the highway and could barely hear the din of traffic. The grounds are an amazing effort and survive surrounded by a concrete jungle. We left the grounds feeling refreshed and entered traffic for the return trip home.

I headed back to the north and kept to old Ontario roads in order to keep urban sprawl at bay. I drove for almost an hour before I felt an inspiration. I had seen a mile marker for Guelph and thought it would be nice to revisit Our Lady. Upon our arrival in the parking lot of Our Lady we discovered a sign that portrayed “Church Tours 1 to 3 pm.” Talking it out we decided to attend and are glad we did.We decided to eat at a local picnic area and after a trek through a park found shelter from the high wind and cold of the early fall day in a river bank pocket. The water was swift where we camped with a blanket strewn over an fallen tree that had invited us to sit. Good food and conversation only added to this fairly private idyllic setting on a very nice fall day.This part of the day was one of the most memorable for me and I felt compelled to write about it.

We were part the first party and the church tour were broken up into 3 distinct parts with 5 guides telling their share of the history. These people were amazing and very knowledgeable. We learned what most of the stained glass windows depicted and that the windows were in fact poor folk's bibles. At the very front of the church we met Angela who was an oratorical delight and Gordon Leopold who possessed a very large wealth of information about the church. My ignorance about what the purpose of the chapels in the Sacristy was erased and I looked upon the open rear doors once again as I had during my first visit to see the town center idly going about its early autumn Sunday afternoon.

The introduction of the industrial age upon the glacially forged province of Ontario was the turning point of man's hold on the world. Epic changes from farming to an industrial community were worldwide. The use of steel versus wood in construction brought in a new era. Gothic churches are a product of an era gone by and sadly will not be built again. The steel furnaces and smelters in Hamilton Ontario are the city's earning power and the big church on top of Hamilton Mountain a testament of faith. Christ The King is not a Joseph Connolly creation, however shares his love of the Gothic Church in her stone work and lines. At the core of the church is the heart of an ever watchful God, intent on our well being.

Lorne