The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral or the New Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Completed in 1914, it is the mother church of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the seat of Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski. The cathedral is named for Saint Louis and was designated a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

The cathedral was built as a replacement for the previous cathedral, the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, located along the Mississippi River. Although workers began clearing ground for the building on May 1, 1907, dedication of the cathedral and its first Mass did not take place until October 18, 1914, when the superstructure was complete. Consecration of the church took place more than a decade later on June 29, 1926. The church is known for its large mosaic installation (which is one of the largest in the Western Hemisphere), and for its burial crypts.

History

Planning for the cathedral began under the authority of Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick in the 1870s and 1880s, and a fund was created for the construction of the building by Archbishop John Joseph Kain. A formal organization promoting the new cathedral was created on April 28, 1871, and among the members of the St. Louis Cathedral Building Association were Archbishop Kenrick, Bishop Patrick John Ryan, and a variety of local businessmen. Initial site selection indicated that the new cathedral would be built on a city block bounded by 22nd and 23rd streets, and by Pine and Chestnut streets, at a location east of the actual construction site.

thumb|Ceiling of the narthex featuring a passage from 2 Timothy 4:7

While the mosaics in the side chapels and sanctuary walls were designed and installed by Tiffany Studios, the mosaics in the main cathedral areas were designed by August Oetken. and Emil Frei, Inc., of St. Louis.

The statue was vandalized and destroyed by a 35-year-old man, who tampered with construction equipment being used for renovations on the cathedral on September 17, 2024. The man was arrested and being held without bond for first degree tampering, first degree property damage, unlawful use of a weapon, as he was suspected of firing into an unoccupied vehicle, and resisting arrest.

The organ

thumbnail|left|180px|The original Kilgen [[pipe organ console]]

The cathedral has a large organ that was originally built by Geo. Kilgen and Son, Inc., in 1915. Originally, the organ had two four-manual (keyboard) organ consoles, one in the gallery with the organ, and another console behind the sanctuary. In 1946, Kilgen put a new organ into the cathedral. The 1946 organ had 77 ranks of pipes, 14 of which came from the older organ. In 1948, an Echo Organ from Carnegie Hall, New York City was installed in the cathedral. In 1984, the M. P. Moller organ company refurbished the organ.

In 1997 the Wicks Organ Company of nearby Highland, Illinois, began a restoration project. They added more ranks of pipes, which brought the organ to 96 ranks of pipes. The company also added some digital stops to the organ. A new four-manual organ console replaced the old Kilgen console behind the sanctuary, and the second gallery console was refurbished. Wicks also updated the organ's electronics.

In the winter of 2002 the gallery organ was expanded, and a new dome division of pipes was added to the organ. The final step in the project, the replacement of the original gallery console (and a smaller, two-manual console that took its place) with a five-manual console was completed in 2010. The Ragen Organ Console, named for its donor, Professor Brian Abel Ragen, was taken from St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City and completely restored. It is now possible to control every part of the organ from either the gallery console or the moveable sanctuary console.

The original Kilgen console was moved into the basement museum, and can be viewed by visitors. The gallery organ is featured on many of Saint Louis's cultural tours.

<gallery>

Cardinal John Glennon grave.jpg|Tomb of Cardinal John Glennon in the crypt

Cathedral Basilica, St Louis 4022.jpg|West aisle

Cathedral Basilica, St Louis 4024.jpg|View of the crossing

Mosaic in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.JPG|Southeast Pendentive depicting St. Isaac Jogues

Cathedral Mosaic-Cabrini.jpg|Southwest Pendentive depicting St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

New Cathedral--Duchesne.jpg|Northeast Pendentive depicting St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

Pentecost mosaic.jpg|Pentecost mosaic in the west transept

Easter mosaic.JPG|Easter mosaic in the east transept

</gallery>

See also

  • List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis
  • List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
  • List of cathedrals in the United States
  • List of tallest domes
  • Mary A. Reardon

Footnotes

References

  • Official Cathedral Site
  • Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis Official Site
  • Symmetry at the Cathedral
  • Regarding the cathedral's pipe organ:
  • The Organ Historical Society Database
  • The Wicks Organ Web Site
  • The Wicks Organ Page on the Cathedral's organ
  • The Cathedral's Web Page on the organ