Standing-Room-Only Congregation Gathers for Dedication of New Altar and Blessing of Restored Rosary Cathedral
The pews were filled, and people stood along the side aisles of Rosary Cathedral. Families with babies and young children joined religious sisters, priests and lay faithful from across northwest Ohio. Some worship there each week; others had driven hours to be present.
On Sunday, November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, the Diocese of Toledo gathered in its mother church for the dedication of a new altar and the blessing of the restored Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral.
Bishop Daniel E. Thomas celebrated the 3 p.m. Mass, joined by Archbishop Leonard P. Blair, the seventh Bishop of Toledo and Archbishop Emeritus of Hartford, as principal concelebrant, along with many diocesan and religious priests. Religious sisters included the superiors of each community serving in the diocese.
Beneath the cathedral’s painted ceiling, with stained-glass windows glowing along the nave and chandeliers illuminating the congregation, the faithful gathered around a sanctuary whose restored arrangement places the Eucharistic presence of Christ at its center.
Bishop Thomas said he was overwhelmed throughout the Mass. His homily centered on the words of the responsorial psalm: “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
The celebration brought together the people of the diocese for a liturgy that blessed the restored sanctuary and dedicated the new altar upon which the Eucharist will be celebrated for generations to come.
Relics of St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Calcutta
Among the details revealed publicly for the first time were the new freestanding altar and the identities of the two saints whose relics Bishop Thomas placed within it during the Mass: Pope St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Calcutta. Bishop Thomas met both saints during his years in Rome, giving the moment a personal connection as well as a lasting place in the cathedral’s history.
Their relics were deposited in an aperture in the new Altar of Sacrifice. Their inclusion on All Saints Day offered a visible connection between the Church gathered in Toledo and the saints whose intercession the faithful invoked during the litany.
Other relics had already been placed inside the altar on September 21, the Feast of St. Matthew, before its marble top was sealed. Sunday’s deposition of the relics of St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Calcutta formed part of the dedication rite itself.
Following the litany and deposition of the relics, the rite included the prayer of dedication, the anointing and incensation of the altar, and its covering and lighting in preparation for the celebration of the Eucharist.
The New Altar of Sacrifice
The new altar is constructed from Italian marbles chosen to complement the marble already present in the sanctuary. Two Venetian-glass mosaic medallions adorn it. On the front is the Pious Pelican, an ancient Christian symbol of Christ’s self-giving love and Eucharistic sacrifice.
The reverse medallion depicts the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph, honoring the Holy Family.
The pelican also appears on the cathedral’s historic bishop’s chair and in the great Crucifixion scene painted on the ceiling above the sanctuary. Its repetition connects the new altar with sacred imagery already woven into the cathedral’s architecture.
The altar now stands within the original sanctuary, three steps higher than the platform introduced during the cathedral’s 1979 renovation. The change improves visibility for the congregation and places the altar beneath the ceiling’s Crucifixion scene, restoring the relationship between the sacrifice celebrated at Mass and the artwork overhead.
Restored Pews and Altar Rail
The removal of the former platform also allowed pews to be restored toward the front of the cathedral. The altar rail has likewise been restored, helping define the sanctuary within the larger church.
The Tabernacle, Crucifix and Altar of Repose
Behind the new altar, the tabernacle has returned to its original central position beneath the baldacchino, the ornate canopy over the cathedral’s original altar. The crucifix has also returned to its historic position beneath the canopy.
Together, these changes draw attention to Christ’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament and the relationship between the Eucharist and His sacrifice on the Cross.
The original altar, now serving as the Altar of Repose supporting the tabernacle, has been restored to its original dimensions. Those proportions had been altered when it was moved onto the platform in 1979. The restoration reunites it with its original accompanying shelves and candles.
Near the conclusion of the Mass, the inauguration of the tabernacle was accompanied by “Ecce Panis Angelorum,” a text by St. Thomas Aquinas whose opening words also appear on the tabernacle itself.
The Baptismal Font and Chapel
The restoration extends beyond the two altars. The baptismal font has returned from beneath the baldacchino to its original home in the Baptismal Chapel, where the surrounding architecture and stained glass reflect the sacrament celebrated there.
Both the chapel and the font are octagonal. In Christian tradition, the eight-sided form points to the new life received in Baptism. The chapel’s sunken floor and centrally raised font further recall the passage through Christ’s death to new life in His Resurrection.
The Historic Bishop’s Chair
The cathedral’s historic cathedra, or bishop’s chair, has also returned to use in its original position. The chair gives a cathedral its name and serves as a sign of the bishop’s teaching office, pastoral authority and the unity of the local Church.
Its restored placement allows the bishop to sit perpendicular to the tabernacle. Above the bishop’s head, the carved pelican echoes the image on the new altar. Carved saints surrounding the chair further express the responsibilities of authority and service.
The Pulpit
The pulpit has moved one pillar back to its original location and has been restored to its original elevation, three steps higher than its previous placement. Carved from German Black Forest white oak, its canopy bears figures of the four great Latin Doctors of the Church—St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine, St. Jerome and St. Ambrose—along with St. John the Evangelist.
The Organ and Choir Chamber
The celebration also reflected the cathedral’s musical heritage. Under the direction of Dr. Joseph Balistreri, the Diocesan Choir and Cathedral Parish Choir provided music, joined by the Glass City Brass Quintet.
The choir and organ console have returned to the historic choir chamber. The cathedral’s renowned Ernest M. Skinner organ, built in 1930, underwent an extensive historical restoration completed in 2025 by Muller Pipe Organ Company. Its 4,884 pipes were removed, cleaned and restored, and its internal mechanisms refurbished. A new console combines the instrument’s historic appearance with modern reliability.
An additional organ division in the rear balcony fulfills an unrealized part of the original installation’s vision, incorporating vintage Skinner pipework from the former St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
A Celebration for the Whole Diocese
People from across the diocese took part in the liturgy’s ministries. Diocesan seminarians served at the altar. Superiors and representatives of women’s religious communities brought forward the gifts. Relic bearers included parish representatives, recent First Communicants, recently confirmed Catholics and recent converts. Representatives of parishes, schools and diocesan councils assisted with clothing the newly dedicated altar.
Their participation reflected the cathedral’s place as the mother church of the entire Diocese of Toledo.
Preserving the Diocese’s Mother Church
The restoration was made possible through the generosity of donors to the Living Christ Campaign. The work brought together St. Jude Liturgical Arts Studio, Ohio Building Restoration, Muller Pipe Organ Company and other artisans.
The cathedral’s history stretches back to the vision of Toledo’s first bishop, Joseph Schrembs. Bishop Samuel Stritch laid its cornerstone on June 27, 1926, and the cathedral was dedicated on October 1, 1940, during the episcopate of Bishop Karl Alter. This year’s restoration continues the care of a church that has welcomed generations of Catholics for ordinations, diocesan celebrations and the daily life of its parish.
Still to Come: The Luminous Mysteries
A further addition is still to come: artwork depicting the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary will be installed in the narthex.
On All Saints Day, however, the focus was the altar and the people gathered around it. From the filled pews to the standing congregation along the side aisles, the diocesan family had come to pray together in its restored cathedral: “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
Posted November 2, 2026 at 9:10 am