Rosary Cathedral (Toledo, Ohio)

Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral
Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, Toledo Ohio John T. Comes and William Perry, architects
Location	2535 Collingwood Boulevard Toledo, Ohio
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Founder(s)	Samuel Stritch
Dedicated	October 1940
Architecture
Architect(s)	John T. Comes original design William Perry supervising architect
Administration
Diocese	Toledo
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Most Rev. Daniel E. Thomas

Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located at 2535 Collingwood Boulevard in the Old West End of Toledo, Ohio. The cathedral is the mother church of the 124 parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo. This cathedral is unique architecturally in that it was designed in the Spanish Plateresque style. It was designed with Toledo's Sister City, Toledo, Spain in mind. Finished in 1931, it was built in the spirit of the great European cathedrals of the Middle Ages.

The second bishop of the diocese of Toledo, Ohio, Samuel Stritch (1921-1930), made the final selection of plans approving the architectural drawings of William Perry of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ground breaking for the cathedral occurred in 1925 and the cornerstone was placed in 1926. The building was structurally completed amidst the Great Depression in 1931 at a cost of $3.25 million. It was not until October 1940, at the end of the depression, that Bishop Karl Joseph Alter (1931-1950), the third bishop of the diocese, dedicated the church as Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral.

The cathedral has a basilica floorplan and is constructed of Massachusetts granite with Indiana limestone accents. The main facade has a single entry that is recessed in a barrel-vault arch framed by carved limestone details. Above the doorway is a statue of the Virgin Mary in a carved niche. Above the statue is a 28 ft (8.5 m) rose window with limestone tracery set into a larger arch. The window depicts scenes from the life of Mary and was financed through the donation of pennies by children throughout the diocese. Framing the entry are two octagonal towers which bear carvings of Sts. Peter and Paul on either side of the rose window. Above the window, on the pediment, are the diocesan coat of arms. The entire facade is surmounted by a crucifix and a frieze which encircles the exterior depicts notable events in the history of the church.