Dedicated May 31, 1821,
the first cathedral built in the United States represented
not only one of the finest examples of neoclassical
architecture in the world but, as Baltimore's 14th Archbishop,
Cardinal William Keeler often emphasizes, a distinctive
symbol of the nation’s newly won freedom of religion.
“ The first place in the English-speaking world that
had religious freedom by law was Maryland,” he said.
“This is the most precious property of the Catholic
Church in the United States.”
Two hundred years after the
cornerstone was laid by Bishop Carroll, its legacy still
resonates. The celebration, billed "A Tribute to
Religious Freedom in Light", integrated the concepts
of freedom and light that the cathedral is noted for.
Exterior building illumination that was part of the rennovations
to restore the light to the historic cathedral was celebrated
on Saturday, November 11, 2006. Following a special mass
the once-dark exterior came to life using Image Engineering's
expertise. Highlighted were historic events of the cathedral's
past and important contributors to this nation's freedom
that held special places in the church's history.
Dignitaries and
well-wishers witnessed the display that preceeded the building's
permanent lighting. In a historic display, pyrotechnics,
lighting, large format projections, and laser graphics,
celebrated the cathedral's return to, as the cathedral's
founder Bishop Carroll called it, “a shining citadel”, and
its place as a national treasure.
