Postcard from St. Catharines: Where My Ancestors Worshipped
This beautiful rose window features the broken Catherine Wheel, a symbol of St. Catherine of Alexandria, as well as the Alpha and Omega symbols of Christ. The fifth in a series about discoveries made during my trip to western New York and Ontario, where I researched my Becker/Baker, Cassidy, Sheridan, Cailteux, and Schiltz families. Dear Family, On a stiflingly hot day in July, in the city of St. Catharines, Ontario, I made my way into the darkened church to attend a midday Mass. Afterwards, I was to meet Rev. Paul McDonald, who kindly agreed to give me a tour of the building. This was the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria, a must-see on my summer research trip as the setting for numerous ancestral baptisms, wedding, and funerals for members of my Becker/Baker, Cassidy, and Sheridan families. I walked down a side aisle to a pew about midway to the back. I sat down. I was surprised to discover that there was no air conditioning. Perhaps it wa...
