While approaching Lewiston, Maine, from the north, we saw a HUGE cathedral in the skyline. We decided to stop at Lewiston and check it out. The church was not hard to find because it is built on a rocky promontory and dominates the city's skyline. The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul is an awesome testimonial to the faith and hard work of French immigrants who came to the area to work in its textile mills.
The church covers a super-block and is well-maintained. Note the multiple languages in which Mass is celebrated. It's too bad that light conditions inside the church did not allow good pictures. Pictures of its massive stained glass windows would have been a great addition here.
Lewiston/Auburn at one time was a center for textile milling, especially Bates bedspreads. The old mills line the river. The last mill closed in the 60s. The community is renovating some of the buildings and encouraging new business and industry to use them.
We went to a coffee shop in the lower level of one mill building. The renovated ceiling had been raised about 18 inches to meet current code. Can you imagine what it must have been like to work in a room with the ceiling at about 6-6.5 feet?
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