Covington, KY (largest stained glass window!?!)
During my August road trip through Ohio and Kentucky, my first stop in the beautiful state of Kentucky was a visit to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Crescent Springs, Kentucky. Father Eric Boelscher is the pastor and one of the writers featured in the book titled Beautiful Eucharist. During my time with Father Boelscher, he recommended a visit to Mother of God Church in Covington. This was a new discovery.
Once settled in my hotel in downtown Covington, I walked to Mother of God Church. It was the feast day of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was also my husband’s 70th birthday. I arrived at the church a half hour before Mass was to begin. This gave me time to explore the beauty of this amazing church.
Mother of God Church is also known as the Cradle of the Arts. The full name of the church is The Annunciation of the Ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God. The church was organized in 1841. The first church building was consecrated in 1842. The present church was built in 1870-1871. This church was the first church in Covington to accommodate the needs of the German immigrants.
Johann Schmitt was a German American artist. He painted five large murals that are displayed in the front of the church. These murals, completed in 1891, represent the five Joyful mysteries of the Rosary. Although there are many beautiful stained-glass windows in this church, the largest stained glass window is yet to come.
Here is the video taken during my visit.
It was a beautiful sunny day in Covington, Kentucky. As I walked around the city, I discovered a river walk and a suspension bridge that connects Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. The name of the bridge is the John A Roebling Bridge.
John Roebling was a civil engineer who designed the bridge. The bridge officially opened to traffic in 1867 and has been designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. I couldn’t resist exploring the river from the bridge and walking across it to Cincinnati.
The next day, I headed to the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Covington, Kentucky. This is the church with the largest stained glass window in the western hemisphere and the second largest in the world. You do not want to miss this video. I was blown away by what I saw in this beautiful House of God. As I entered the church, the organist was practicing several pieces of music. Here is my video of this beautiful church. ENJOY!
My last adventure in Covington included a walk through Mainstrasse. This area of Covington was developed in the 1970s as a restored 19th century German village. Here are some beautiful pictures of the walk in Mainstrasse.
This road trip is not yet complete. Tomorrow, I leave for a very rural part of Kentucky that features an interesting landmark. Stay tuned for my next blog. I believe you will enjoy that one too.
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