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Fresco rediscovered at Kingston cathedral
St. Mary’s Cathedral in Kingston has uncovered a unique fresco dating as far back as the late 1870s depicting four figures on separate pillars.
Photo courtesy Angela Gambini
May 8, 2025
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During extensive renovations for the Archdiocese of Kingston’s upcoming 200-year anniversary, St. Mary’s Cathedral uncovered a unique fresco dating as far back as the late 1870s.
Fr. Shawn Hughes, rector of St. Mary’s in Kingston, Ont., suspects the mural would have last been visible in the church some time around 1910, with a large white Carrara marble altar having concealed the artwork for the last 115 years.
Depicting four statues perched upon their own pedestals, the monochrome plastered fresco was located by parish staff after removing the reredos, a decorated screen behind the current altar, for repair.
“We planned to move the Blessed Sacrament back to the focus, and so we have been creating a very special spot for it in the centre of the cathedral, at the rear of the sanctuary. When they removed the reredos, just the heads of the statues became visible, and they called me right away to come see,” Hughes said.
After researching with the help of church archives, Hughes learned of a glass plate picture, before photographs, of the fresco behind the cathedral’s original high altar and baldacchino canopy. Further glass plate pictures from the Archdiocese of Kingston archives show the fresco prominently displayed circa 1890.
The next step was identifying who the four figures depicted are, something Hughes believes he has narrowed down with further help from church records and knowledge of Scripture.
“ One of the statues is of a woman standing on a snake, which is always how Our Lady is depicted, such as in Genesis 3:15. To her left is St. Joseph, as he is often pictured carrying a staff that sports a flowering lily. We believe there is also a Celtic bishop, as we are able to see beautiful Celtic knots on the figure's cope,” Hughes said.
“Preserved in our archives is a letter from 1864 from former Kingston Bishop Edward John Horan, who wrote to a German company requesting statues of St. Patrick and St. Bridget, the patron saints of Ireland. Our diocese’s first bishop was Scottish, the second one was French, and then the rest have pretty well all been Irish. While we are not entirely certain, the statues are likely of St. Patrick and St. Bridget.”
Shocked and delighted by the discovery, Hughes said the fresco will be the perfect backdrop for the Blessed Sacrament. Further, he believes the people who covered the fresco did so with extraordinary caution, saying that it was obvious they knew it would be discovered and re-introduced some time in the future.
Apart from needing to be cleaned and minor restorations, the mural was well preserved and appears to be in excellent shape and condition.
While the exact reason for the fresco's obstruction is unclear, the rector of St. Mary’s has no doubts that it served as a poignant and distinct feature of the historic Kingston cathedral for many years.
“The priests of the past would have looked at this fresco when they were celebrating Mass because they would have celebrated facing in the same direction as the people. We have a picture of that original altar, dated 1867, which is just amazing.”
In preparation for the Archdiocese of Kingston’s 200th anniversary, which will be celebrated throughout 2026 and begin on Dec. 8, staff are continuing substantial renovations to the church across three phases: a complete renovation of the sanctuary, nave and narthex/choir loft. The sanctuary is expected to be completed before celebrations commence, and the nave throughout 2025.
"As for the third phase? Whenever Archbishop (Michael) Mulhall wants it to be,” Hughes said with a laugh.
Founded as a diocese by Pope Leo II in 1826, the Archdiocese of Kingston will celebrate its anniversary under the theme of Philippians 3:10 — “ I want to know Christ, to know the power of His Resurrection.”
Looking ahead, Hughes hopes the cathedral’s latest uncovering, along with continued renovations, will reestablish a sense of sanctuary and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament within the community.
“We are looking forward because although we are happy to be celebrating the past 200 years, we certainly aren't stuck in them either. We are missionary oriented, receiving new Catholics in and helping young people return to their faith here, and that is something that also excites us,” he said.
A version of this story appeared in the May 11, 2025, issue of The Catholic Registerwith the headline "Renos uncover cathedral’s glorious past".
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