On Saturday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m., the remains of Covington’s third bishop, Camillus Paul Maes, will be solemnly entombed during a Funeral Mass at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption. Bishop Roger J. Foys will serve as celebrant and homilist for this historic moment.
The Cathedral historian following the Mass and Entombment will give a walking historical tour of the Cathedral.
All are welcome to attend.
The Funeral Mass will also be broadcast via live stream on the Cathedral’s Vimeo page.
Bishop Camillus Paul Maes (Photo courtesy Paul Tenkotte)
The vision and vigor of Bishop Maes were the driving force behind the construction of the Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption. Letters, correspondence, and photographs of Bishop Maes from the Cathedral’s planning and construction highlight his desire to give the city of Covington a token of his affection and a monument to speak for centuries to come of the love of Christ, for “indeed, the message of the Cathedral is the message of Christ.”
The new tomb serves as a monument of gratitude to Bishop Maes for his numerous contributions to the Church in Northern Kentucky. The former baptistery beneath the choir loft will house the new tomb for the remains of Bishop Maes that were exhumed from St. Mary Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell, late in September.
The new tomb for Bishop Maes features a sarcophagus of white and green marble that matches the cathedral’s marble work. The lid of the sarcophagus features a hand-carved white marble effigy depicting Bishop Maes lying in repose. The vaulted ceiling of the crypt features golden stars on a deep blue background, reminding God’s people that our ultimate destination is Heaven.
Bishop Maes was the longest-serving bishop of the Diocese of Covington (1885–1915). A native of Courtrai, West Flanders, Belgium, Camillus Paul Maes was born on March 13, 1846. Father Maes was ordained on December 19, 1868, in Belgium. He arrived in the United States on May 9, 1869, and began his ministry in the Diocese of Detroit.
Father Maes was officially appointed Bishop of Covington on October 1, 1884, the first diocesan priest in Detroit to be elevated to that rank. Archbishop William Elder of Cincinnati performed the consecration on January 25, 1885, at St. Mary Cathedral in Covington. Bishop Maes departed this world on May 11, 1915.
More information is available online.
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See Our Rich History column about Bishop Maes and a little girl’s inspiration.
See Our Rich History column about how Camillus Paul Maes became Covington’s Bishop.
