Cathedral

Adoration Chapel

As part of the Cathedral restoration of 2015/2016, the area to the right of the sanctuary underwent significant changes.  Most notable of these changes was the relocation of the tabernacle from the side chapel to the center of the sanctuary. The restored Pieta, seen here, was relocated from the west side entrance of the nave to the renovated Adoration Chapel.

Brass gates were installed in the archways leading to the transept and sanctuary to allow this area to be open for private adoration and prayer during hours when the Cathedral is normally closed.

The archway leading from the transept had been covered to provide a back wall for St. Joseph’s altar and was opened as part of the 1982 Cathedral renovation.  The oak wainscoting of the chapel, which can be seen behind the Pieta, originally surrounded the main altar area. The wooden ceiling and wainscoting were refreshed as part of the 2015/2016 restoration.

The stained glass window at the rear of the chapel illustrates the life of St. Dominic. It serves as a reminder that this once was the Sisters’ Chapel for the Dominican nuns who have been a part of the St. Agnes community since 1917, when Mother Petra and five other nuns first came to teach in the parish school.

A white marble altar with an intricate repeating arch motif was installed beneath the St. Dominic window.

Altar

The Altar of God, the central reason for the Cathedral’s existence stands four steps above the floor so that the sacred liturgy can be seen and heard from all corners of the Cathedral.  It is made of marble, quarried in Italy. The edge of the altar top is embellished with a pattern of wheat and grapes.

The flooring of the Sanctuary is of Botticino marble. A marble floor mosaic surrounds the Altar itself.

Directly below the central portion of the holy table, a wooden reliquary holds the Cathedral’s four relics. The relics are those of St. Agnes, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. John Neumann and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.

Altar Icons

Two icons were commissioned and installed on either side of the sanctuary as part of the 2016 restoration.

One icon depicting the Baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist is on the wall near the Baptismal Font and the second icon is on the wall directly opposite this icon near the ambo. The icon by the ambo features the Blessed Virgin holding the child Jesus. The Blessed Virgin is flanked by the Patroness of our parish, St. Agnes, along with St. Catherine of Alexandria. Like St. Agnes, St. Catherine was martyred for her faith at a young age. St. Catherine is especially revered by the Eastern Church and being depicted with St. Agnes in this icon reminds us of our unity with the Churches of the Eastern Rite.

George Filippakis, a gifted artist who specializes in Byzantine iconography, is the iconographer of these icons.

Ambo (Pulpit)

To the right of the altar is the Ambo or Pulpit, also made of marble.  On its front are wood tiles with symbols representing the four evangelists – Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 

The edge of the marble top is embellished with a leaf pattern with cross and Alpha and Omega symbols. The columns of the base match the columns of the main altar, tabernacle altar and baptismal font.

Because he begins his gospel with the human genealogy of our Lord, St. Matthew’s symbol is a winged man.  St. Mark begins his gospel by describing the mission of St. John the Baptist, who was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.”   His symbol is a winged lion.  St. Luke mentions the priesthood of Zachary at the beginning of his gospel. St. Luke is symbolized by a winged ox which was the usual victim in the sacrifices of the Old Law.  To St. John we owe the most beautiful passages on the Divinity of the Word made flesh.  His symbol is an eagle that soars in the heights.

The ambo was repositioned from the left side to the right side of the sanctuary as part of the 2016 restoration work. Also as part of the restoration a new icon of St. Agnes of Rome, Blessed Virgin Mary with Jesus, and St. Catherine of Alexandria was installed on the wall to the right of the ambo.

Anvil

To the left of the entrance to the Cathedral you will find this blacksmith’s anvil.

It stands today in front of the Cathedral to commemorate the occasion of the first Mass in Rockville Centre which was offered during the summer of 1887 in the blacksmith shop of  Walter Johnson.

“The Old Forge” of Mr. Johnson was located on Centre Avenue north of present day Merrick Road, then known as Jamaica Avenue.  Bishop John Loughlin of the Diocese of Brooklyn assigned Fr. E. J. Connell of Rockaway Beach to celebrate Mass in Rockville Centre for a group of six Catholic families living in the area.

The anvil monument was donated to the Cathedral by Mr. Frank Calitri in memory of J. J. Strazzeri.

Baldachin

A baldachin is an ornamental structure that resembles a canopy which is placed over a person or place of honor or veneration. Originally, a baldachin was made of cloth, but over time baldachins have also been made of other material such as stone, wood, or bronze. One of the most significant baldachins is in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and sits over that Basilica’s main altar which in turn sits over the grave of St. Peter the Apostle. This baldachin was designed by Bernini and is made of bronze that has been formed to resemble fabric. St. Agnes’ baldachin is made of solid oak and is supported by columns that are eighteen feet high. On the front of the baldachin are renderings of the Evangelists with their symbols subtly beside them. In the center are two angels holding the host for us to consume, as St. John in Revelation 10 was told to take the Word of God and consume it. Beneath the host is the Holy Spirit. The spires on the top of the columns are replicas of original spires that had been in the Cathedral up until the early 1980’s and have been in storage since that time.

On the columns of the baldachin are ten individual saints. Saints help us realize that holiness is possible. They are our brothers and sisters who have faced the challenges of their day and age, who have heard Jesus’ call to come and follow him and who have allowed God’s love to transform them. The ten saints whose images are on the columns are not in any of the Cathedral’s beautiful stain glass windows or statues. Some of them have been canonized over the more recent years. Some of them are more contemporary than others. Some are men, some are women. Some are religious or clergy, some are laity. The ten saints are:

St. Benedicta of the Cross – Born in 1981, St. Benedicta received her doctorate in Philosophy in 1916 and was baptized six years later. In 1932, she became a Carmelite sister and in 1942, was executed by the Nazis in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

St. Faustina – Born in Poland in 1905, she entered the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy at the age of 20. In the 1930’s, she received a message from the Lord to be an apostle of God’s mercy and a model of how to be merciful.

St. Gianna Molla – Born in Italy, St. Gianna was a wife, mother and physician. When complications arose while she was pregnant with her fourth child, she opted to continue her pregnancy despite endangering her health. St. Gianna gave birth to this child on Good Friday of 1962, and died one week later.

St. Jeanne Jugan – Born in France in 1792, St. Jeanne was dedicated to the neediest of the elderly poor and was the foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor.

St. John Vianney – The Patron Saint of Parish Priests, St. John was the parish priest of Ars, France and was known especially for the 12 to 16 hours a day he would spend in the confessional as the Minister of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

St. John Paul II – Born in 1920, this son of Poland was elected Pope in October 1978, and died in 2005. During his Pontificate, he visited 124 countries and wrote 14 encyclicals and five books. He inaugurated the World Youth Day and worked tirelessly to bring together religions and people.

St. Kateri Tekawitha – The first Native American to be declared a saint, St. Kateri was born near the town of Auriesville, New York. Despite the great hostility of her tribe, she was baptized at 20 years of age and was especially devoted to the Eucharist and Jesus crucified. She died in 1656 of smallpox when she was 24 years old.

St. Thomas More – A husband and father of four, St. Thomas was trained as a lawyer and in 1529 was appointed by Henry VIII as Lord Chancellor of England. He resigned three years later when he could not abide by Henry’s opinions on the Church and the supremacy of the Pope. In 1555, due to this refusal to give allegiance to the King as Head of the Church of England, he was beheaded. On the scaffold, he said he was dying as “the King’s good servant – but God’s first.”

St. Vincent de Paul – Born in France in 1580, St. Vincent lived a life especially dedicated to the care of the poor. He founded the religious institute of priests who vowed to the evangelization of country people – the Congregation of the Mission.

St. William the Abbot – Born in Italy in 1085, St. William was known for his holiness and attracted a number of followers. He formed the Hermits of Monte Vergine with a rule based on the Benedictines.

 

Baptismal Font

The baptismal font, on the left side of the sanctuary, reflects the same design motif as the main Altar, Tabernacle Altar and Ambo. The Baptismal Font was installed as part of the restoration of the sanctuary completed in 2016. It contains its own plumbing so that living water may flow into the font during baptism.

On the wall to the left of the font is an icon of the Baptism of Christ. On the rear wall of the baptistry area there are three cabinets, appearing as little houses, called an ambry in which the sacramental oils are kept.  These sacred oils are blessed by the Bishop on Holy Thursday.

This font was installed in 2016 replacing the font that was installed in 1982. The original marble font from the Cathedral’s construction in 1935 now stands at the main entrance to the Cathedral and is the main holy water font.  The original baptistry once stood in the main vestibule of the Cathedral behind a wrought iron grille.  This grille can now be found in sacristy where it separates the main sacristy area from the stairway that leads to the Msgr. Quealy room beneath the Cathedral.

Cathedra (Bishop’s Chair)

To the left and behind the main altar is the Cathedra or Bishop’s Chair. This is a distinctive feature of a cathedral, and is in fact the only thing that marks this church as different from the other parish churches of the diocese. It is from this chair that the Bishop presides as our spiritual father and chief pastor.

This cathedra was originally used by Bishop Walter Kellenberg, first bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.  It was restored as part of the restoration project completed in 2016.

The chair bears Bishop Barres’ Coat of Arms with the motto “Holiness and Mission”.  The Bishop’s motto derives from a phrase from the final section of the encyclical Redemptoris Missio written by Pope John Paul II in 1990, titled “The True Missionary is the Saint.”

Click here for an explanation of Bishop Barres’ Coat of Arms.

The Coat of Arms of Bishops Kellenberg, McGann, McHugh and Murphy can be found on the archways on either side of the main altar.

Choir Loft

The Choir Loft is located directly above the center door of the Nave.  Trumpet Pipes were added to the edge of the balcony and other pipes on either side of the loft as part of the Pipe Organ Installation in 2001.

The oak paneled railing is richly embellished by the following inscription in Gothic lettering: “In Nomine Jesu + Vade in Pacem + Dominus Tecum.” (In the Name of Jesus + go in peace + The Lord be with you).

The large stained glass window behind the loft depicts the Crucifixion and the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. This window contains the inscription, “Pater, in Manus Tuas Commendo Spiritum Meum.” (Father, into Your Hands I commend My Spirit).

Facade

The outside of the Cathedral features massive walls and buttresses of buff-colored brick and limestone trimmings which reach to the multi-hued slates of the roof.  The front is flanked at the east corner by a 150 foot high bell tower and contains the bell that once hung in the belfry of the marble church that pre-dates the present ediface.  Remnants of the marble church can also be found in the fence posts in front of the Cathedral and around the parking lot across from the Cathedral as well as the cornerstone that can be found to the left of the front entrance. The cornerstone for the current Cathedral can be found on the right side of the front entrance. The bell now hangs in an open bell chamber behind stone tracery.  A stone cornice and open stone tracery railing encircles the tower where the tower changes from a square to an octagon shape.  Gargoyles, which are a truly Gothic feature, project from the corners of the tower.

Two stories higher the tower terminates in a leaded copper cupola which until October 2012 was surmounted by an aluminum cross. Following super storm Sandy in October of 2012 only the upright of the cross remained. In April of 2014 a new copper and gold finished budded Cathedral Cross was installed. On the west corner of the facade a smaller octagonal turret, terminating in finials and carved crockets frames the front facade.

It was determined that rehabilitation of the Cathedral’s facade was needed when in 2014, a four-foot stone cross fell from the facade and an ensuing engineering study identified the areas of the exterior, and in particular the south facade, that needed attention. The work included: the replacement of some of the limestone caps as well as areas of bricks; the replacement of the flashing beneath the caps; installation of new windows and doors in the east tower; the repair of the roof of the east tower; the strengthening of the interior of the west tower; and the repointing of the facade. Additional work was also commenced in 2016 and completed in 2017 to rehabilitate the north, east and west sides of the facade.

The main feature of the facade is a thirty foot arched tracery window divided into five lancets.  The gable above this window, surmounted by a stone cross, is enriched with a series of arched recesses, the middle one is enlarged with a richly carved canopy.  On a pedestal in this niche stands a seven foot carved statue of St. Agnes.

Four broad granite steps lead to the main entrance portico.  Here, between two sets of paneled oak doors, surmounted by a tracery rose window, stands a statue of Christ the King, carved in stone.  Entering these doors brings you to the Cathedral vestibule.   

Nave

The center doors lead into the main aisle of the Nave. The Cathedral nave consists of a large, clear space with a cruciform (cross shape) floor plan. It is illuminated by magnificently glazed tracery windows.

Hammered iron chandeliers, hang in two rows on long chains from the tiled buff colored ceiling.

Six pointed arched trusses spring from carved stone corbels built into the side walls support the ceiling. At the point where each arch meets the ceiling is a shield. There are twelve shields in all, one for each apostle. The apostles and their emblems are as follows:

West Side, from sanctuary to rear

St. Peter – cross and keys
St. James the Less – windmill
St. Matthias – book and battle-ax
St. Thomas – girdle, stones and T-square
St. Jude – boat
St. Matthew – purses and battle-ax

East Side, from sanctuary to rear

St. John – eagle
St. Philip – Tau cross and basket
St. Andrew – fish hook and cross
St. Bartholomew – skin and cross
St. James the Greater – shells
St. Simon – oar, saw, and ax

Various shrines, statues, rooms of reconciliation and stations of the cross can be found on the west and east side aisles of the nave.

Organ

The Cathedral Pipe Organ was installed in 2001 to replace 2 electronic organs that had previously been used in the Cathedral for many years. Planning for this magnificent instrument began in 1999. Dr. Charles Callahan was appointed as tonal consultant to the project. The Wicks Organ Co. of Highland, Illinois was selected to construct the new organ. Click Here to read a commentary prepared by Dr. Callahan.

The organ is actually two organs with one console on the front altar as shown here and one in the choir loft. The pipe organ required significant changes to the Cathedral. Most notably among these was the construction in the east transept of a loft to hold some of the over 4,400 pipes that make up the organ. Close-ups of the transept console give a hint of the complex workmanship that is needed to construct an instrument of this kind. For specific information on the St. Agnes Cathedral Organ including the stop list please visit the Wicks Organ Co. Opus 6393 website.

Quealy Room

The Cathedral’s renovation completed in 1982 created a new room immediately below the sacristy. This area formerly housed the heating plant for the cathedral. This new space was named the Quealy Room in honor of the late pastor Msgr. Peter Quealy who passed away in 1959.

The Quealy Room is an all purpose room used for meetings, prayer groups, as well as the altar servers vesting room and as a second sacristy for visiting priests. The room is accessible by both stairway and elevator from the sacristy.

On one wall can be found a painting that was once the center panel of the triptych Shrine of the Suffering Souls of Purgatory. Although the two original side panels have been removed it still retains its original oak panel framing. This Shrine was formerly located on the main floor of the Cathedral and was moved to the Quealy room as part of the 1982 renovation.

Two statues of Mary can also be found in the Quealy room. The first is Queen of the Rosary and the second is of the Madonna and Child.

Reredos

The reredos is a screen or altarpiece that rises on the wall behind the main altar. This reredos was installed as part of the Cathedral renovation completed in 1982. Parts of the original reredos were incorporated into this new massive reredos.

The designers described it this way, “In providing an architectural background for the renovated sanctuary at St. Agnes Cathedral, the existing reredos was restored and recomposed to create a new majestic sculpture. The overall design is meant to recall the Gothic architectural imagery one experiences from the exterior. This concept carries out a redefined fashion that strongly supports the Gothic spirit which is the vernacular in this Cathedral. An important feature of the reredos is the circular form in the center, articulated to evoke a rose window typical in most authentic Gothic cathedrals.”

A close-up reveals that the reredos is also embellished with carvings of the twelve apostles, religious symbols and details from the original reredos. Among some of the new features is the Jerusalem Cross found at the base of the reredos. The Jerusalem Cross can be traced to Charlemagne in the year 800 A.D. It consists of 5 gold trimmed crosses. In the center is a gallows cross with 4 small Greek crosses at the intersections. Together, they represent the five wounds of Christ. The pipes were added to either side as part of the 2001 pipe organ installation.

As part of the Renovation and Restoration of the Cathedral sanctuary completed in 2016, the reredos was refinished and returned to its original wood tones. In addition the statues of the 12 apostles that line each side of the reredos were gilded. Also, as part of the restoration work, the Cathedra which had been centered under the reredos was moved to the left side of the sanctuary.

Rood

“Rood” is an old English word for cross.

High in the sanctuary is the Rood Group which portrays the scene of Christ’s death on Calvary. Above hangs the great wooden crucifix; below the crucified Jesus stand His Blessed Mother and His faithful Apostle and friend, St. John.

All three figures are from the original reredos, or ornamental screen, that rose above the altar prior to the Cathedral renovation completed in 1982. During the restoration project begun in 2015, the Rood Group was restored and gilded and repositioned farther back in the sanctuary behind the main altar.

Stained Glass Windows

The Cathedral is adorned with numerous stained glass windows depicting the lives of Jesus and the saints. Beautiful Gothic windows made of antique stained glass imported from England and Germany compose the greater part of the Cathedral’s windows. These windows were crafted as part of the construction of the Cathedral. Other windows such as those found in the rooms of reconciliation are from the marble church that once stood on the site of the current Cathedral.

The window pictured here is an example of one of the marble church windows. It is entitled Salvator Mundi and depicts Christ, Savior of the World.

Please visit our Stained Glass Windows page for more pictures and information on the many beautiful stained glass windows that adorn the Cathedral.

Stations of the Cross

The walls of the Cathedral, tinted a warm buff color on sand finished plaster, form a suitable background for the built-in Stations of the Cross which were designed in Innsbruck, Austria. The Stations are made in a bold mosaic of stained glass partly gilded on wavy surfaces giving a rich effect heightened by light reflection. Most importantly they tell the greatest love story the world has ever known.

Shown here is the Twelfth Station, Jesus is Raised Upon the Cross and Dies. Parishioners and visitors are invited to view and reflect on all fourteen stations of our Stations of the Cross.

Statues

Numerous statues can be found throughout the Cathedral in various shrines. Among these are:

Mary
St. Joseph
St. Anthony
American Saints St. John Neumann, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. Frances Cabrini
St. Theresa
Infant of Prague
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Head of the Suffering Christ

Pictured here is the wooden sculpture of the Pieta, the Blessed Mother holding her dead Son beneath the empty wooden Cross. Originally found in the western center entrance to the Nave, this beautiful work was moved to the adoration chapel following its restoration as part of the overall Cathedral restoration effort completed in 2016.

Tabernacle

The tabernacle in a Catholic Church is used for the exclusive reservation of the consecrated Eucharist.

At St. Agnes, the tabernacle, was repositioned to the center of the sanctuary as part of the 2016 Cathedral Restoration project. The tabernacle was placed on a marble altar whose motif matches that of the main altar, ambo and baptismal font.

On each of the four sides of the tabernacle is an angel holding wheat or grapes depicted in silver. The shape of the tabernacle echoes the shape of the Cathedral itself. Even the etchings on the roof match the exterior roof of the Cathedral. A hanging sanctuary lamp above the tabernacle designates this as the sacred place where the Real Presence of the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.

As part of the 2016 restoration effort, an elaborate baldachin was constructed over the tabernacle further enhancing the importance of the most sacred area of the Cathedral (please see the description of the Baldachin in the section of this tour under that heading).

Vestibule

At the entry of the Cathedral inside the main doors there is a large wooden carved statue of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr. St. Agnes is depicted holding a lamb and palm branch, symbolic of her virginity and martyrdom. This statue once occupied a fifteen foot niche high up in the sanctuary wall behind the main altar. An archway to the left leads into the tower vestibule. From here a tiled stairway leads to the choir loft which is located at a height twenty one feet above the church floor level. The stairway is enriched by a beautiful stained glass window representing St. Cecilia, patroness of church music.

Above the statue is a special rose window, called a titular window. A titular window portrays the life of the patron or patroness of a particular church. Originally part of the marble church, this titular window depicts in rich colors the life and martyrdom of St. Agnes. Above the stone space between the doors, with the radiance of stained glass as a background, is a small deftly carved stone statue of the Christ Child, the Light of the World, with His hand raised in benediction. At the foot of the statue of St. Agnes is the baptismal font from the marble church which now serves as the central holy water font for those entering the Cathedral.

The entire space opposite the entrance of the main vestibule is taken up with a lofty screen of richly molded oak tracery, through the glass of which can be obtained glimpses of the sixty eight foot ceiling of the nave. Below the tracery five pairs of paneled oak doors lead to the nave of the edifice.