Cathedral
The original cathedral for the Diocese of Vincennes was the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Vincennes, Indiana. Designed from the Bardstown Cathedral, it was begun in 1826 and consecrated on August 8, 1841by Bishop Hailandière. The bell tower was designed by the architect Jean-Marie Marsile, who was appointed the diocesan architect. The interior features three murals by the German painter Wilhelm Lamprecht – the first depicting the Crucifixion; the second, the Virgin Mary and Ss. Simon, Celestine, Stephen and Maurice and the third mural depicting St. Francis Xavier.
Prior to and during the construction of the new cathedral, St. John the Evangelist parish church in Indianapolis was used as the pro-cathedral. It was designed by the architect Diedrich A. Bohlen who followed a mix of Romanesque and French Gothic style. Construction began on July 21, 1867 and was completed in 1893 by Diedrich's son, Oscar D. Bohlen, over 20 years after its dedication as a parish church. The paintings of the Stations of the Cross were painted by the Parisian painter L. Chovet. On the centennial of its dedication in 1871, it was restored by the generosity of Msgr. Charles P. Koster and adapted for the Novus Ordo by removing the pre-Vatican II communion rail and adding an altar that allowed the priest to celebrate the congregation.
Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral currently serves as the seat of the archdiocese. It was completed in 1907 under the authority of Francis Chatard. Construction began for the cathedral rectory and episcopal chapel on July 15, 1891, following the plans of James Renwick, Jr. and supervised by the architectural firm D.A. Bohlen and Son. The design for the cathedral was modeled after St. John Lateran in Rome, Italy. Despite owning the proper land and having the money, Chatard did not have permission to build a new cathedral until March 28, 1898 when Pope Leo XIII transferred the seat of the diocese to Indianapolis – construction began in April 1905. James' nephew William Whetten Renwick assumed sole responsibility for the completion of the cathedral and simplified the design laid forth by his late uncle. Renwick designed the building, the interior decorations and the altars, but Bohlen and Son supervised construction of the building and the baptismal fonts and the original wooden furnishings. The final facade was designed by the firm of August Bohlen, son of Oscar and grandson of Diedrich, and was commissioned by Archbishop Joseph Elmer Ritter. The facade was also drawn from the design of St. John Lateran in Rome.
The interior of Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral was very ornately decorated, with statues of Carrara Marble statues by Cesare Aureli, and a Mural of the Holy Family flanked by Ss. Peter and Paul done by Edgar S. Cameron of Chicago (which was later replaced by a mosaic of Jesus enthroned flanked by Ss Peter and Paul). The Cathedral has undergone many renovation projects in the decades between its construction and how it stands today.
Read more about this topic: Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Indianapolis
Famous quotes containing the word cathedral:
“... the first cathedral you see remains with you forever as the cathedral of the world.”
—M. E. W. Sherwood (1826–1903)
“The charm, one might say the genius of memory, is that it is choosy, chancy, and temperamental: it rejects the edifying cathedral and indelibly photographs the small boy outside, chewing a hunk of melon in the dust.”
—Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973)
“There’s a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons—
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes—”
—Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)