Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe (Dallas, Texas)

The Cathedral Santuario de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe) is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas, Texas. The structure dates from the late 19th century[1] and is located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas. The church oversees the second largest Catholic church membership in the United States. Its average Sunday attendance is 11,200.

Catedral Santuario de la
Virgen de Guadalupe
Cathedral Shrine of the
Virgin of Guadalupe
Location in Texas
32°47′19″N 96°47′52″W
Location2215 Ross Ave.
Dallas, Texas
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic Church
Membership25,000 registered families
Websitewww.cathedralguadalupe.org
History
Founded1869
DedicatedOctober 26, 1902
Architecture
Architect(s)Nicholas J. Clayton
StyleGothic revival
Groundbreaking1898
Completed1902
Specifications
Number of spiresOne
Spire height224 feet (68 m)
MaterialsBrick
Bells49
Administration
DioceseDiocese of Dallas
Clergy
Bishop(s)Most Rev. Edward J. Burns
RectorRev. Stephen Bierschenk

History

Background
Interior

In 1869, Dallas's first Catholic parish, Sacred Heart Church, was established by the Bishop of Galveston. The church was built in 1872 and was located at Bryan and Ervay Streets, near present-day St. Paul Station.[1]

In 1890, Dallas was established as a diocese, and Sacred Heart became the diocesan cathedral of Dallas with Bishop Thomas Brennan acting as the first bishop. Along with Dallas' tremendous growth at the time, the parish soon outgrew its church building, and the need for a new cathedral arose.[1]

Construction

The property on which the current Cathedral is now located was purchased for US$30,000, which adjusted for inflation, is equivalent to over $600,000 in 2007.[2] The cornerstone for the Cathedral was laid June 17, 1898 and the church was formally dedicated on October 26, 1902.[1][3]

Consolidation

As the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex grew through the early 20th century, other diocesan parishes were built in neighboring suburbs, decreasing Sacred Heart's attendance. However, by the 1960s the neighboring Our Lady of Guadalupe parish had outgrown its facilities.

Sign reflecting growing Spanish-speaking population

The parish, located on Harwood Street, was established in 1914 and primarily served Mexican immigrants. Bishop Thomas Tschoepe of Sacred Heart invited Our Lady of Guadalupe to merge with Sacred Heart, and by 1975, the Guadalupe church on Harwood closed following the churches' consolidation. On December 12, 1977, Sacred Heart Cathedral was renamed Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe—"the Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe."[1] This reflects the large Spanish-speaking proportion of the congregation, so that the congregation now has masses and various programs in Spanish and English, as well as English classes.

Expansion

The Cathedral recently underwent a major multi-phase renovation project. As part of the project, a US$20 million bell tower housing a 49-bell carillon was constructed. The bell tower was planned by the original architect, Nicholas J. Clayton,[4] but had not been built.[5][6]

See also

References
  1. Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe - History Archived 2012-06-24 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 29 April 2007.
  2. side note: Using a CPI Inflation Calculator and inputing $30,000 for 1913 (the lowest available year) returns well over $600,000 in 2007 dollars.
  3. Photograph of the cornerstone at Wikimedia Commons.
  4. Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe - Architecture overview. Retrieved on 29 April 2007.
  5. "Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe". Architexas. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  6. "Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe". www.masoncontractors.org. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
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