Culture

On Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 at noon, the Archives Department's year of yearning came to fruition with the launch of a virtual tour of the cathedral in anticipation of the 150th anniversary of its dedication.

On Wednesday, Dec. 8, 1875, at 10 a.m., years of yearning finally came to fruition. That day, after nine years of construction and 15 years without a Mother Church, Archbishop John J. Williams presided over the dedication Mass of the newly built Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Washington Street. Though not yet finished, the edifice expressed the persistent devotion and faith of the Catholics of Boston, whose population boomed during the 19th century. Following decades of nativism and prejudice, as well as the tumult of the American Civil War, Boston's Catholics could now assert their longevity in physical form.
On Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 at noon, the Archives Department's year of yearning came to fruition with the launch of a virtual tour of the cathedral in anticipation of the 150th anniversary of its dedication. The tour is hosted in Matterport, a software that uses 360-degree scans to create a 3-D digital twin of a physical space. The tour accurately represents the layout, scope, and dimensions of the cathedral, providing precise measurements and representation of the space. Visitors may take a guided tour of the highlights or explore at their leisure. Around the space are "Mattertags," clickable circles in different colors. These allow visitors to view archival content and background information on the cathedral's history, art, architecture, and legacy. A Spanish-language version is available as well.

This project has been a priority for the Archives for the better part of 2025. We were initially intrigued by the idea of a virtual tour to commemorate the anniversary and soon found that the Archdiocese of Hartford has an impressive collection of 3-D church tours that were exactly what we envisioned for the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. We were able to connect with Tony Healy of Capture Visual Marketing to create the digital twin of our cathedral.
This collaboration allowed us to realize myriad goals for the virtual tour. Capturing an accurate spatial representation of the cathedral enables us to celebrate the monumental 2019 renovations and preserve a comprehensive visual record of the cathedral in 2025, something that static images, blueprints, or video alone cannot fully achieve. Integrating archival materials, including photos, documents, and videos, directly in the virtual tour further enriches this visual record. By hosting the tour online, it transcends geographic location, reaching visitors throughout the archdiocese, the state, and beyond. In so doing, we can foster deeper connections among the faithful and educate the public about the cathedral's history and its enduring role in our archdiocese.
Once the digital capture was finalized, our team dove headfirst into our archival collections, reviewing sources as diverse as pew rent books, sacramental registers, anniversary booklets, open-reel film, and renovation files that document a century and a half of faith. We unearthed innumerable photographs and documents, many of which now adorn the tour as Mattertags. We also encountered several mysteries, some of which we were able to solve, some of which remain clouded in the annals of history.
One such mystery is the vestibule arch, which is said to have been built using reclaimed bricks from the ruins of the Ursuline Convent in Charlestown that was burned by an anti-Catholic mob in 1834. This story has been told and retold since the original construction, but it is yet unclear exactly where the bricks are located: after all, there are two arches between the vestibule and the sanctuary, and there are no visible bricks.
We also wanted to reiterate that this historic building represents an active, vibrant Catholic community, both for its parishioners and for the broader archdiocese. We are grateful to have filmed new videos with Archbishop Richard Henning, Cardinal Seán O'Malley, Father Joseph Ferme, and Music Director Richard Clark, who give voice -- literally -- to Catholic life in Boston.
Archbishop Williams is often the first name recalled regarding the cathedral's construction, but there are almost innumerable individuals and organizations who contributed to its existence. The very idea of a new cathedral can be attributed to Bishop John B. Fitzpatrick, Archbishop Williams' predecessor, who died in 1866 shortly before ground was broken. Father Patrick Lyndon, cathedral rector from 1866-1870, was largely responsible for overseeing the construction of the new building. The generosity of numerous donors can be seen in the ornate windows and altars of the cathedral. Countless laborers conducted the initial construction, such as Mr. Patrick Treanor, a mason who died in 1876 and whose memory is preserved in the St. Patrick stained-glass window on the south nave wall. In the intervening years, many more donors, laborers, clergy, and parishioners have contributed to this living monument, upholding the high standards of faith and devotion set in motion centuries ago.
This project was created by Rebecca Maitland and Violet Hurst of the Archdiocese of Boston Archives. It was not an independent effort, however, and we are deeply grateful for the contributions of several collaborators. We would like to extend our thanks to the cathedral staff, especially Msgr. Kevin O'Leary and Father Jose Nicanor Vivas, for their hospitality and expertise; Archbishop Richard G. Henning; Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, Father Joseph Ferme, and Richard J. Clark, for their video features; Tony Healy, for the 3-D digital twin of the cathedral; Ann Gennaro and Howard Trant, for filming and editing the video features; and the editors of The Pilot, for permission to use photos from their publication in the tour.
Like its physical counterpart, this virtual tour now bears witness to the enduring Catholic faith of the Archdiocese of Boston. Much has changed in the last 150 years, and much will continue to change. The tour can be found online at www.bostoncatholic.org/archives. If you have feedback about the tour, please get in touch! We have an online form dedicated for this purpose: forms.office.com/r/0WYaC6R5sZ, or you can email us at archive@rcab.org.

REBECCA MAITLAND IS AN ARCHIVIST OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.

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