1140 Madison Avenue, Covington, Kentucky, USA
Basilica of the Assumption
A massive cathedral in Covington, Kentucky, modeled after Notre-Dame de Paris, with one of the largest stained glass windows in the world and a richly decorated interior that rivals any church in the country.
Covington's cathedral is wildly ambitious for a small city across the river from Cincinnati. Bishop Camillus Maes wanted a great church, and starting in 1894, he got one — modeled directly on Notre-Dame de Paris, with flying buttresses, a rose window, and a nave scaled to a European capital. The building was not fully completed until 1915, and some planned features, including the towers, were never finished. But what exists is extraordinary. The interior is covered in murals by Covington artist Frank Duveneck and his students, including a massive painting of the Assumption behind the altar and a life-sized Last Supper scene. The north transept holds one of the largest stained glass windows in the world — 67 feet tall and 24 feet wide, depicting the Council of Ephesus. Italian mosaics line the sanctuary floor. The Stations of the Cross are oil paintings on the nave walls. The whole building feels like something you might find in Lyon or Cologne, not in a Kentucky river town of 40,000 people. It was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.
Diocese: Diocese of Covington
Style: French Gothic Revival
What to See
Start outside and take in the flying buttresses and Gothic massing — it is genuinely surprising to see this silhouette in a small Kentucky city. Inside, the north transept window demands your attention first: the Council of Ephesus in 67 feet of stained glass, best seen on a sunny morning. Frank Duveneck's murals cover the sanctuary and apse — the Assumption painting behind the altar is enormous and dramatically lit. The oil-painted Stations of the Cross along the nave walls are museum-quality works. The Italian mosaic floor in the sanctuary catches the light from the windows above. The Blessed Sacrament chapel is a quieter space for prayer.
Pilgrim Notes
Covington is directly across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, connected by the Roebling Suspension Bridge. The basilica is a short walk from the MainStrasse Village district, which has restaurants and shops. Street parking is available nearby. The cathedral is open daily and guided tours can be arranged through the parish office. The drive from Louisville's Cathedral of the Assumption is about ninety minutes, making a day trip between the two churches very manageable.