Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception (Peoria, Illinois)

Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception
40°41′54.9″N 89°35′6.1″W / 40.698583°N 89.585028°W / 40.698583; -89.585028Coordinates: 40°41′54.9″N 89°35′6.1″W / 40.698583°N 89.585028°W / 40.698583; -89.585028
Location 607 NE Madison Ave.
Peoria, Illinois
Country United States
Denomination Catholic Church
Website http://www.cdop.org/Cathedral
History
Founded 1846
Architecture
Status Cathedral
Functional status Active
Architect(s) Casper Mehler
Style Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking 1885
Completed 1889
Specifications
Length 170 feet (52 m)[1]
Width 80 feet (24 m)
Number of spires Two
Spire height 230 feet (70 m)
Materials Anamosa Limestone
Administration
Diocese Peoria
Clergy
Bishop(s) Most Rev. Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C.
Rector Msgr. Stanley L. Deptula
Part of North Side Historic District (#83003588[2])
Added to NRHP November 21, 1983

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception (commonly known as St. Mary's Cathedral) is a cathedral of the Catholic Church located in Peoria, Illinois, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Peoria, where the renowned Catholic televangelist and sainthood candidate, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, was born and raised. The cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the North Side Historic District.

History

Cathedral interior

The first Mass in the vicinity of Peoria was celebrated at Fort Crevecoeur, across the Illinois River from the present city. The Récollets stationed at the fort included the Revs. Gabriel Ribourde, Zenobius Membre and Louis Hennepin. Father Reho celebrated Mass in the city of Peoria in 1839 and the Rev. John A. Drew founded St. Mary's Church in 1846 and the church that would become the first St. Mary's Cathedral was built in 1851.[3][4]

Chicago architect Casper Mehler designed the present cathedral to reflect the style of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.[5] The cornerstone was laid on June 28, 1885 by Bishop John Lancaster Spalding. Construction on the cathedral was completed in 1889. The exterior is composed of Anamosa Limestone and the twin spires on the main façade rise to a height of 230 feet (70 m).[1] The painting of the Crucifix on the reredos behind the altar was painted in 1873 by the Spanish artist Yzquierda. It was purchased by Bishop Spalding and originally hung in the old cathedral. It and a bell in the south tower are all that remain of Old St. Mary's, which was taken down in 1898.[4] The present pipe organ, Wicks Organ Company, opus 1503, was installed in 1936.[6] It features 3,329 pipes.[1]

The cathedral church and the neighboring Bishop's House, now used for other purposes, are among the contributing properties in the North Side Historic District added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Saint Mother Teresa visited St. Mary's for a mass in her honor in 1995.[1]

The Cathedral underwent a major renovation beginning in 2014 and finishing in 2016. The restoration and renovation work was performed by Daprato Rigali Studios.[7]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "St. Mary's Cathedral". Emporis. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  2. ↑ National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  3. ↑ Shannon, James. "Peoria". New Advent. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  4. 1 2 "Cathedral of St. Mary of The Immaculate Conception/St. Bernard's". Peoria Cathedral. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
  5. ↑ "Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception". Chicago Architecture. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  6. ↑ "Wicks Organ Co., Opus 1503, 1936". Organ Historical Society. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  7. ↑ http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150512/news/150519793

External links

St. Mary's Rectory
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/20/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.