All Souls' Chapel (Prince Edward Island)
Encyclopedia
All Souls' Chapel is an historic chapel, attached to St. Peter's Cathedral, in Charlottetown
, Prince Edward Island
, Canada
. Built of Prince Edward Island sandstone in the High Victorian Gothic
style of architecture, it overlooks the beautiful Rochford Square.
, William Critchlow Harris
, and the Chapel walls feature paintings by his brother, Robert Harris
. There are three roundels by Robert Harris set in the front of the Altar, depicting, respectively, Christ breaking bread at Emmaus on the Day of His Resurrection; the Crucifixion of Christ; and Christ administering the Chalice to communicants. The arched reredos
is typical of William Harris's style, containing statues of Christ and his apostles. Christ stands in the centre, with St. John
and St. James standing to His right and St. Peter to His left, while other Apostles, including St. Paul, carry the instruments used to put them to death.
A Tabernacle containing the Reserved Sacrament
stands behind the Altar Cross, while to the right of the Altar is the Credence Table, on which the bread and wine are placed before the Offertory. Around the sanctuary walls are portraits of St. Luke the Evangelist, as a memorial to Robert Harris, and St. James the Just, a memorial to Canon James Simpson, who played an important role in planning the Chapel. The round painting above the reredos is of Christ ascending to Heaven, and has been a treasured icon
to generations of Cathedral parishioners. The Chapel was built by Lowe Brothers of Charlottetown, and the woodwork was carved by Messrs Whitlock and Doull.
In 1990, All Souls' Chapel was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. An exterior plaque in recognition of this designation was dedicated at a special ceremony in July 1994.
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Built of Prince Edward Island sandstone in the High Victorian Gothic
High Victorian Gothic
High Victorian Gothic was an eclectic architectural style and movement during the mid-late 19th century. It is seen by architectural historians as either sub-style of the broader Gothic Revival style, or a separate style unto its own right....
style of architecture, it overlooks the beautiful Rochford Square.
History
All Souls' Chapel was built in 1888 as a memorial to Father George Hodgson, the first "priest-incumbent" of St. Peter's Cathedral, to a design by the noted ecclesiastical architectChurch architecture
Church architecture refers to the architecture of buildings of Christian churches. It has evolved over the two thousand years of the Christian religion, partly by innovation and partly by imitating other architectural styles as well as responding to changing beliefs, practices and local traditions...
, William Critchlow Harris
William Critchlow Harris
William Critchlow Harris was an architect noted mainly for his ecclesiastical and domestic projects in Maritime Canada....
, and the Chapel walls feature paintings by his brother, Robert Harris
Robert Harris (painter)
Robert Harris was a Welsh-born Canadian painter most noted for his portrait of the Fathers of Confederation....
. There are three roundels by Robert Harris set in the front of the Altar, depicting, respectively, Christ breaking bread at Emmaus on the Day of His Resurrection; the Crucifixion of Christ; and Christ administering the Chalice to communicants. The arched reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
is typical of William Harris's style, containing statues of Christ and his apostles. Christ stands in the centre, with St. John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
and St. James standing to His right and St. Peter to His left, while other Apostles, including St. Paul, carry the instruments used to put them to death.
A Tabernacle containing the Reserved Sacrament
Reserved sacrament
During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the second part of the Mass, the elements of bread and wine are considered, in some branches of Christian practice, to have been transubstantiated into the veritable Body and Blood of Jesus Christ...
stands behind the Altar Cross, while to the right of the Altar is the Credence Table, on which the bread and wine are placed before the Offertory. Around the sanctuary walls are portraits of St. Luke the Evangelist, as a memorial to Robert Harris, and St. James the Just, a memorial to Canon James Simpson, who played an important role in planning the Chapel. The round painting above the reredos is of Christ ascending to Heaven, and has been a treasured icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
to generations of Cathedral parishioners. The Chapel was built by Lowe Brothers of Charlottetown, and the woodwork was carved by Messrs Whitlock and Doull.
In 1990, All Souls' Chapel was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. An exterior plaque in recognition of this designation was dedicated at a special ceremony in July 1994.