Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes (Spokane, Washington)

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes is a Catholic cathedral in Spokane, Washington, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Spokane.[1]

Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes
Location in Washington
47°39′29″N 117°25′43″W
Location1115 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, Washington
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitehttp://spokanecathedral.com
History
StatusCathedral
Founded1881
Architecture
Architect(s)Julian and Williams
StyleRomanesque Revival
Completed1908
Specifications
Number of spiresTwo
Spire height164 ft (50 m)
MaterialsBrick
Administration
DioceseSpokane
Clergy
Bishop(s)Most Rev. Thomas Daly
RectorRev. Darrin Connall

History

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish can trace its beginnings to the first Mass celebrated in Spokane. The Rev. Joseph Cataldo, SJ celebrated the Mass in August 1881 in a converted carpenter's shop that he named St. Joseph.[2] Five years later a brick church was constructed and named Our Lady of Lourdes. The Sisters of the Holy Names opened a parish school. The cornerstone for the present church building was laid in 1903. A new school building was completed three years later. On December 17, 1913, St. Pius X established the Diocese of Spokane[3] and Our Lady of Lourdes was named the diocesan cathedral.

Architecture
Interior of the cathedral

The cathedral is designed in an Italian Romanesque Revival style. The exterior of the structure is faced with red brick accented with granite. The facade is framed by two square towers that reach a height of 164 ft (50 m).[4] The interior was most recently renovated in 2019 when the sanctuary was covered in marble and a new marble altar and pews were installed. The new marble altar was a gift of Tim and Sherry Murphy in memory of their families. The old high altar, topped by a Calvary scene, remains in the apse. It was a gift of the Patsy Clarke family of Spokane. The bishop's cathedra (chair) is a combination of the original 1913 throne of Bishop Schinner, the marble cathedra from the 1930s and a new addition in 2018. The bishop's cathedra is a gift from the Dennis and Stacy Harrington family in memory of Deacon John Sicilia. The restored marble pulpit was made possible through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Redmond. The cathedral has one organ in the loft W. W. Kimball pipe organ. The stunning stained glass windows are from Bavaria.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Cathedral of Our Lady Lourdes". G Catholic. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  2. "Cathedral History". Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. Archived from the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  3. "Diocese of Spokane". Catholic-Hierarchy. 3 December 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  4. "Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral". Emporis. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
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