October 28, 2026

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

October 22 is the anniversary of the dedication of our St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg. I love our cathedral. We are blessed to have such a beautiful cathedral. This cathedral is a very special part of my life as a priest. I was ordained a priest in this cathedral. I remember that so well. I must tell you I know the exact spot where I prostrated on the sanctuary floor during the ordination ceremony in this cathedral.

When I was a seminarian studying at Wadhams Hall, this new cathedral was under construction. I was there at the ceremony of the cathedral’s dedication on October 22, 1952. It was a magnificent ceremony! It brought many dignitaries here to Ogdensburg – cardinals and bishops were in attendance. Now, on this special anniversary, the priests of our diocese will celebrate in their parishes a special anniversary Mass – remembering the day our cathedral was dedicated. We will be offering gratitude to God for our cathedral.

I have attended many celebrations of our diocese at St. Mary’s Cathedral – joining with all the other priests of the diocese. I remember each year I came to the Cathedral for the Chrism Mass just before Easter. All of us, priests join with our bishop for the Mass and the blessing of the sacred oils that will be used for the sacraments during the coming year. Then each priest takes some of each oil back to his parish. This signifies the unique connection of the bishop with each of the parishes in the diocese. I also remember many other diocesan celebrations at our St. Mary’s Cathedral.

I also want to mention that I love and am very proud of the stained-glass windows in our cathedral. They are very special. I enjoy taking friends and visitors around the cathedral to show them the windows. Part of these windows give an image of the history of the Catholic Church in the North Country.

Now, let me take a moment to share with you the importance of the cathedral church. Cathedral means the bishop’s official “chair” from which he teaches and presides over the diocese. Each Bishop is chosen with the responsibility to teach the faith of the Catholic Church as handed down from the apostles. The bishop is the shepherd of the people entrusted to his care.

The cathedral is the mother church of a diocese. Catholic communities throughout the diocese belong to a larger family gathered around the bishop. Through the bishop’s ministry, the apostolic faith is proclaimed, the sacraments are celebrated, the Gospel is handed on.

The cathedral is a place where the whole diocese gathers for important celebrations, like ordinations of new priests and deacons. Its architecture and sacred art are meant to direct people’s hearts toward God. The cathedral expresses the Church’s belief that God is present among his people.

So, the dedication of St. Mary’s Cathedral on October 22, 1952, was more than the opening of a new building; it was the consecration of a sacred place to serve as the spiritual heart of the Diocese of Ogdensburg.