Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center
The Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center serves as the chancery offices for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City. It is located adjacent to the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Jefferson City, Missouri. It also serves as a pastoral center and a headquarters for the diocese. The center is named in memory of Alphonse J. Schwartze, a philanthropist who was the primary benefactor. Schwartze was a parishioner of St. Joseph's Church in Westphalia, Missouri. Groundbreaking for the center took place on April 1, 2004, with John R. Gaydos, Bishop of Jefferson City, presiding. Also, present was Schwartze's brother, Emil. Blessing of the completed center took place on October 7, 2007. Present for the blessing were Gaydos and bishops from neighboring dioceses in Missouri: Raymond L. Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis; Robert W. Finn, Bishop of Kansas City-Joseph; and John Joseph Leibrecht, Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau; Robert J. Herman, Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis.
History
The chancery for the diocese had several addresses prior to the current one. The first was a temporary one located at 505 Bolivar Street in Jefferson City. The first permanent chancery was at 312 East Capitol Avenue from 1957 until 1968. From 1968 until 2005, the chancery was located at 605 Clark Avenue in Jefferson City.
Features
The building is 26,795 square feet (2,489.3 m2) and contains 47 rooms of various sizes, including a chapel and meeting rooms.
St. Alphonsus Chapel
The Saint Alphonsus Chapel is dedicated to St. Alphonsus Maria de Ligouri. It is dominated by an imported 4½ foot wooden image of Christ modeled after the Gero Crucifix of the Cathedral of St. Peter and the Virgin Mary in Cologne, Germany. The selection of this crucifix was made in order to link the occupation of the building with World Youth Day which was held in Cologne in 2005. The chapel seats 50 people.
Artwork
The walls of the center display various gifts from the clergy and laity of the diocese. The vast majority of the original paintings are by Louis Wellington McCorkle, who was a member of the American Artists Professional League. The Peruvian artwork is from the estate of the late Francis G. Gillgannon. Photographs are from the collection of historical archives of the diocese.
References
External links
Coordinates: 38°35′30″N 92°12′32″W / 38.59163°N 92.20891°W
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