![]() Above the entrance doors, at the centre of the façade, is a statue of St. The front façade is symmetrical and demonstrates highly skilled craftsmanship. The church, built of random-coursed rusticated limestone ashlar, is rich with masonry detail. Contractors for the construction of the church were Langdon and Sullivan of Kingston. Joseph Connolly's, Church of the Good Thief's was designed in the Romanesque Revival style. He was also known as the Good Thief, and for a time, this church was the only one in the world to assume this name. Dismas, the Catholic patron saint of prisoners and Dismas was one of the two thieves crucified beside Jesus. ![]() Due to the connections with the Penitentiary, the church was named in honour of St. The parish priest at the Church of the Good Thief was also appointed as chaplain to the Kingston Penitentiary. Convicts quarried the stone and carried it to the church site. The church was constructed approximately one kilometre from the Kingston Penitentiary. Mary's Cathedral, in Kingston, for services. Prior to the opening of this church, Portsmouth worshipers, the majority of them of Irish descent, traveled to St. J.V Neville, a nephew of Archbishop Cleary. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1892 and the dedication was on April 24, 1894. Archbishop Cleary (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston), also an Irish immigrant, hired Connolly to design the Church of the Good Thief and the rectory. He arrived in Toronto, in 1873, and was the architect in whole or in part for 34 Roman Catholic churches and chapels in Ontario. Connolly studied under J.J McCarthy, “the Irish Pugin” in Dublin, Ireland. The Church of the Good Thief is associated with provincially significant architect Joseph Connolly (1840-1904), Archbishop James Vincent Cleary (1828-1898), and the Kingston Penitentiary. Along King Street West is a stone retaining wall which distinguishes the property's southern edge, and contains the stairs leading to the church entrance. The rectory was built in 1895 of red brick with stone detailing and also designed by Connolly. Also located on the property, is the rectory. A landmark in the community, it is located on a hill, making the tower visible from a distance. Located at 743 King Street West, on a well groomed lot, the Church of the Good Thief is in the community of Portsmouth, in the western part of the City of Kingston. The property was designated by the City of Kingston under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1978 (By-law 9360A). The exterior of the building and the scenic character and condition of the property are protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement (1980). The church is a limestone building designed in the Romanesque Revival style by architect Joseph Connolly. The building at 743 King Street West, known as the Church of the Good Thief, is located in the community of Portsmouth, in the City of Kingston.
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