St. Raphael's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Archdiocese of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa in the United States. The parish is the oldest congregation of any Christian denomination in the state of Iowa. The cathedral church, rectory, former convent, and former parochial school building are contributing properties in the Cathedral Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
thumb|left|300px|First St. Raphael's Cathedral
Origins
In the early 1830s, the US Government opened present-day Iowa, then part of the Michigan Territory, for settlement. At that time, there were no Catholic churches in the town, which was then under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Saint Louis.
In late 1835, Rosati assigned Reverend Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli to the parish. Dedicating the parish to the archangel Raphael, he drew up plans for a church building made of stone. Under his guidance, the first St. Raphael's Church was completed, the first Catholic church in Iowa.
In 1837, Pope Gregory XVI erected the Diocese of Dubuque and appointed Reverend Mathias Loras as its first bishop. St. Raphael's Church was designated as the cathedral for the new diocese. That same year, the pope presented Loras with a relic, the bones of Cessianus, a second-century Roman martyr and saint. This relic was then installed at the cathedral.
thumb|left|1884 map of St. Raphael's campus. The Sisters' and Brothers' Schools are on the left., the cathedral in the center.|436x436px
Growth and expansion
During the early 1840's, large numbers of German settlers and Irish workers moved into Iowa. By 1845, St. Raphael's Cathedral was becoming overcrowded during Sunday masses. At this point, Loras began planning to build a new cathedral in the downtown area. However, the growth of the business district in that area plus a lack of funding forced him to postpone these plans.
To alleviate the crowding at St. Raphael's and provide the German Catholics with services in their own language, Loras in 1849 approved the formation of Holy Trinity, a German national parish in Dubuque. The parish later became St. Mary's.
In 1853, to further ease the overcrowding at St. Raphael's, Loras erected St. Patrick's mission church in Dubuque to serve Irish families. Loras made it a mission of St. Raphael's so he would not lose the income needed to build a new cathedral. This created problems between him and the local Irish community.
The present building
After opening St. Patrick's, Loras realized that he should try again to build the new cathedral. He purchase land near the current cathedral and on July 5, 1857, laid the cornerstone for the new St. Raphael's Cathedral. In 1882, the diocese constructed Blessed Sacrament Chapel, a large structure at the back of the cathedral. It was designed by Dubuque architect Fridolin Heer. Since the new chapel obscured the three stained glass windows in the cathedral above the main altar, the contractor relocated them to the chapel.
thumb|Former Blessed Sacrament Chapel (2007)|302x302px
In 1886, St. Raphael's Cathedral underwent its first major renovation, designed by the Chicago architect J.J. Egan. Contractors installed new iron vaulting and lowered the column's capitals by . They replastered the interior, installed a new gallery in the rear of the church and cut a large arch into the tower to allow light from the lancet window. The archdiocese also ordered new stations of the cross from Germany Bishop John Hennessy rededicated the cathedral on November 21, 1886. New stained glass windows, whose openings in the nave had been lowered , were imported from London and installed in 1889.
In 1902, the archdiocese constructed a mortuary chapel in the lower level of the cathedral. It contains several buried vaults holding the remains of several bishops and archbishops of Dubuque. The altar and communion rail are made of Italian marble.
The archdiocese in 1944 expanded the main entrance and replaced two outside staircases on the sides of the cathedral with interior ones. An elevator was added to make the building more handicapped accessible. In the wake of liturgical reforms from the Second Vatican Council, the chancel was altered. Another change from the Council was the use of the vernacular, or local language, instead of Latin in masses. Archbishop James Byrne celebrated the first mass in English at St. Raphael's.
During the production of the 1978 film F.I.S.T, starring Sylvester Stallone, the filmmakers used the interior of Blessed Sacrament Chapel for some scenes.
1986 renovations
thumb|300px|Altar, St. Raphael's Cathedral (2018)
In 1986, the most extensive renovation in years was done to the church. At the time, it had been more than 50 years since the renovation. Also, the parish wanted to make some updates to the design which coincided with certain architectural and liturgical trends that were emerging in the Church at the time.
In April 2025, a $10 million renovation of the cathedral campus was completed. The nearly four year-long project included an interior renovation of the cathedral as well improvements to the exterior, parking lot and new landscaping. It was paid for by a $1.8 million grant from the state of Iowa and donations from across the archdiocese.
Architecture
Exterior
St. Raphael's is a brick structure built on a raised basement and a stone foundation. .
Pipe organ
thumb|300px|Organ pipes, rear gallery, St. Raphael's Cathedral (2018)
The cathedral's pipe organ was originally built in 1890 by a builder now unknown, and was rebuilt by the Tellers-Kent Organ Company in 1937. It has 46 ranks, with three manuals. The organ is composed of a number of chambers in what was the choir loft, plus another chamber along the southern wall near the front of the church. There is also a set of chimes attached to the organ.
Like a number of other organs, the pipework is largely left out in the open rather than being contained with the case. The pipework was artistically arranged to make a stunning visual display.
The organ console is situated in the choir area on the main level near the front of the church. It can be moved for various functions, such as mass and recitals. In 1991, the organ was refurbished after several years of fundraising. The organ is one of the larger ones in Dubuque, and is considered one of the finest in the city.
{| border="0" cellspacing="24" cellpadding="18" style="border-collapse:collapse;"
| style="vertical-align:top" |
{| border="0"
|-
| colspan=16 | Great Organ
----
|-
| 16′ || Gedackt
|-
| 8′ || Principal
|-
| 8′ || Doppel Flute
|-
| 8′ || Gemshorn
|-
| 4′ || Octave
|-
| 4′ || Harmonic Flute
|-
| 2′ || Octavian
|-
| || Mixture IV
|-
| 8′ || Festival Trumpet
|}
| style="vertical-align:top" |
{| border="0"
|-
| colspan=16 | Schwell Organ
----
|-
| 16′ || Bourdon
|-
| 8′ || Gedeckt
|-
| 8′ || Salicional
|-
| 8′ || Celeste
|-
| 4′ || Principal
|-
| 4′ || Harmonic Flute
|-
| ′ || Nazard
|-
| 2′ || Blockflote
|-
| 1<sup>3</sup>/<sub>5</sub>′ || Tierce
|-
| || Scharff III
|-
| 16′ || Oboe/Bassoon
|-
| 8′ || Trompette
|-
| || Tremolo
|}
| style="vertical-align:top" |
{| border="0"
|-
| colspan=16 | Choir Organ
----
|-
| 8′ || Melodia
|-
| 8′ || Gamba
|-
| 8′ || Celeste
|-
| 4′ || Flute d’ Amour
|-
| 2′ || Piccolo
|-
| ′ || Larigot
|-
| 8′ || Clarinet
|-
| 8′ || Festival Trumpet <small>(Gt)</small>
|-
| || Tremolo
|-
| || <u>Antiphonal Section</u>
|-
| 8′ || Bourdon
|-
| 8′ || Gemshorn
|-
| 4′ || Principal
|-
| 4′ || Koppelflote
|-
| 2′ || Prestant
|-
| 2′ || Block Flote
|-
| ′ || Spitzquint
|}
| style="vertical-align:top" |
{| border="0"
|-
| colspan=16 | Pedal Organ
----
|-
| 32′ || Resultant
|-
| 16′ || Open Diapason
|-
| 16′ || Principal
|-
| 16′ || Subbass
|-
| 8′ || Octave
|-
| 8′ || Subbass
|-
| ′ || Quint
|-
| 4′ || Choral Bass
|-
| 4′ || Subbass
|-
| ′ || Mixture IV
|-
| 16′ || Bombarde
|-
| 8′ || Bombarde
|-
| 4′ || Bombarde
|-
| || <u>Antiphonal Pedal</u>
|-
| 16′ || Subbass
|-
| 8′ || Bourdon
|-
| 4′ || Choral Bass
|}
|}
Burials
thumbnail|240px|Altar and rails, Mortuary Chapel, St. Raphael's Cathedral (2005)
- Bishop Mathias Loras
- Bishop Clement Smyth
- Archbishop John Hennessy
- Archbishop Francis J.L. Beckman
- Archbishop Henry P. Rohlman
- Archbishop James J. Byrne
- Archbishop Raymond Etteldorf, Apostolic Delegate to New Zealand, then Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Ethiopia.
Other buildings
Rectory
The rectory, which is adjacent to the cathedral on the north, was built around 1870. The three-story brick dwelling is considered the finest example of the Italianate style in the Cathedral District.