PORTLAND — Maine’s Roman Catholics are gearing up to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.
The neo-Gothic structure, which is the tallest building in Portland, emerged after the Great Fire of 1866 destroyed the original cathedral that was under construction.
Bishop Robert P. Deeley will celebrate a special Mass on Sunday.
The event falls on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Church officials say that’s fitting since the cathedral’s windows depict the life of Mary, mother of Jesus.
The 10th bishop of the Dicoese of Portland, the Most Rev. Joseph Gerry, wrote on the cathedral’s 125th anniversary that the “magnificent” structure is “a noble and uplifting building which turns our hearts and minds to God.”
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less