Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the fifth-largest cathedral in North America
, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
. It is located at 89 Ridge Street in Newark
, New Jersey
. Envisioned as a "fitting monument to the faith," construction began in 1899 and was finished in 1954. The original design called for an English
/Irish
-gothic
church, but plans were later modified in favor of a French
-gothic style.
, the Bishop of Newark
, just six years after his appointment by Pope
Pius IX
. Proposed sites included a corner at High and Kinney Streets and an alternate at South and Broad Streets.
However, the current site, next to Branch Brook Park
in the Forest Hill
section of Newark's North Ward, was chosen. Bayley waited to buy the land until the site was recommended by Jeremiah O'Rourke
, the architect of the planned cathedral; the Reverend Monsignor
George Hobart Doane; and the Right Reverend
G.W. Doane. G.W. Doane liked the current site because it "commands a view of the Orange Mountains
on the west and Newark Valley, the hills of Staten Island
, and New York
on the east." The property purchase was completed January 2, 1871, for US$
60,000.
At the request of Bayley, G.W. Doane traveled to Germany
, France
and England
to get ideas for the new cathedral.
In 1872, Bayley was elevated to Archbishop of Baltimore and the project was handed over to the new bishop, Michael Corrigan
. Corrigan ordered the excavation of the site in 1875 and 1876. In 1881, the project was handed over to yet another new bishop, Winand Wigger
.
The City of Newark wanted to buy the site for the new Newark High School
in 1896 but was rejected by Wigger. As the plans moved on, Wigger erected a temporary church under the same name on February 15, 1889.
In July 1897, a fundraiser was started to build the cathedral. At the same time, the design was being chosen. O'Rourke was chosen to design an English-Irish gothic design. In accepting the commission, O'Rourke pledged to Wigger that the work would be "a labor of love and not of fees and profits."
in January 1898, the cornerstone
was laid on June 11, 1899. O'Rourke wanted to get the walls and towers built first and selected a Vermont
Rockport granite
as the exterior stone. By 1902, the walls then stood 50-feet at the nave
and ambulatory
, with the first four tiers of the front towers under construction.
Wigger died on January 5, 1901, and the new bishop, John Joseph O'Connor
, asked O'Rourke to cut costs not to exceed a price tag of US$1 million.
s, excavate underneath, re-level the ground and reset 22 pillars. The decision to drop the two remaining pillars allowed the elimination of the clerestory
wall connecting the nave and the chancel
, thus opening the transept
a full one-hundred-sixty-five feet. As the arch
es and clerestory began to rise in the latter half of 1910, extra reinforcement was provided in the form of steel
girder
s at the clerestory level down either side of the nave and around the ambulatory.
By 1918, construction moved at a steady pace to allow the completion of the steel-slate
d roof in November 1919. The granite tympanum
canopies and medallions were finished and, by July 1924, the windows were completed. With this, the building was finally insulated for the first time since the construction's start. The carving of the medallions' scriptural scenes and bishops' portraits took place on-site between April 1922 and November 1924 under the direction of Rochette and Parzini of New York City.
In 1925, officials wanted the cathedral to be completed by December 1926 in time for the 50th anniversary of O'Connor's ordination
as a priest
. The dedication
was postponed because of a dispute over the type of limestone
used and the many delays in construction. Limestone installation, vaulting
, the work on the sanctuary
floor and sacristies
continued.
With O'Connor's death in May 1927, construction had to be completed on the crypt
where he would be laid to rest.
General work re-commenced in August 1927 and ended some months later with the installation of an Italian
Botticino
-marble
altar
purchased from the Benziger Brothers of New York City.
The first ordination was his own as Bishop of Newark on May 1, 1928. A Pontifical Mass
followed, celebrated by Father Joseph H. Conroy, with a crowd of nearly 4,000 people.
Walsh's elevation to Archbishop of Newark
took place on April 27, 1938. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee
on July 29, 1943, and the 50th anniversary of his ordination as a priest on May 1, 1950.
During the pre-dedication, Walsh ordained six bishops in the cathedral.
, Archbisop of Newark, on October 19, 1954. During the ceremony, Boland received the pallium
from then-Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, Apostolic Nuncio
(delegate) to the United States.
.
In addition to the six bishops he ordained during the pre-dedication, Boland ordained many priests in this cathedral and showed people's contributions in this church.
Thousands came to celebrate his Golden Jubilee
in 1972. In 1974, he named his successor Father
Peter Leo Gerety
from Portland
, Maine
.
's visit to the United States in 1995, he celebrated evening prayer at the Cathedral. At this occasion, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was elevated to a basilica
to become the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
ever built by the Schantz Organ Co.
which includes 154 ranks
playable from two consoles
.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
. It is located at 89 Ridge Street in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Envisioned as a "fitting monument to the faith," construction began in 1899 and was finished in 1954. The original design called for an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
/Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church, but plans were later modified in favor of a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-gothic style.
Planning
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was proposed in 1859 by James Roosevelt BayleyJames Roosevelt Bayley
James Roosevelt Bayley was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of Newark and the eighth Archbishop of Baltimore .-Early life and education:...
, the Bishop of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
, just six years after his appointment by Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
. Proposed sites included a corner at High and Kinney Streets and an alternate at South and Broad Streets.
However, the current site, next to Branch Brook Park
Branch Brook Park
Branch Brook Park is a county park of Essex County, New Jersey in the United States, located in the North Ward of Newark, between the neighborhoods of Forest Hill and Roseville. At 360 acres , Branch Brook Park is the largest public park in the city of Newark...
in the Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Newark, New Jersey
Forest Hill is an affluent pre-World War II neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey's North Ward. It is bounded on the west by Branch Brook Park, on the south by Bloomfield Avenue , and on the east by both Summer and Mt. Prospect Avenues, the neighborhood of Broadway...
section of Newark's North Ward, was chosen. Bayley waited to buy the land until the site was recommended by Jeremiah O'Rourke
Jeremiah O'Rourke
Jeremiah O'Rourke, FAIA, , was an Irish-American architect known primarily for his designs of Roman Catholic churches and institutions and Federal post offices...
, the architect of the planned cathedral; the Reverend Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
George Hobart Doane; and the Right Reverend
Right Reverend
The Right Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain it applies to bishops except that The Most Reverend is used for archbishops .*In some churches with a...
G.W. Doane. G.W. Doane liked the current site because it "commands a view of the Orange Mountains
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
on the west and Newark Valley, the hills of Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, and New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on the east." The property purchase was completed January 2, 1871, for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
60,000.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to get ideas for the new cathedral.
In 1872, Bayley was elevated to Archbishop of Baltimore and the project was handed over to the new bishop, Michael Corrigan
Michael Corrigan
Michael Augustine Corrigan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who served as the third archbishop of New York from 1885 to 1902.-Early life:...
. Corrigan ordered the excavation of the site in 1875 and 1876. In 1881, the project was handed over to yet another new bishop, Winand Wigger
Winand Wigger
Winand Michael Wigger was a German American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Newark from 1881 until his death in 1901.-Early life and education:...
.
The City of Newark wanted to buy the site for the new Newark High School
Barringer High School
Barringer High School, formerly Newark High School, is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Newark, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. Some consider it to be the third oldest public high school in the United States...
in 1896 but was rejected by Wigger. As the plans moved on, Wigger erected a temporary church under the same name on February 15, 1889.
In July 1897, a fundraiser was started to build the cathedral. At the same time, the design was being chosen. O'Rourke was chosen to design an English-Irish gothic design. In accepting the commission, O'Rourke pledged to Wigger that the work would be "a labor of love and not of fees and profits."
Early stages
Following groundbreakingGroundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
in January 1898, the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
was laid on June 11, 1899. O'Rourke wanted to get the walls and towers built first and selected a Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
Rockport granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
as the exterior stone. By 1902, the walls then stood 50-feet at the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and ambulatory
Ambulatory
The ambulatory is the covered passage around a cloister. The term is sometimes applied to the procession way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar....
, with the first four tiers of the front towers under construction.
Wigger died on January 5, 1901, and the new bishop, John Joseph O'Connor
John Joseph O'Connor (Bishop of Newark)
John Joseph O'Connor was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Newark from 1901 until his death in 1927.-Early life and education:...
, asked O'Rourke to cut costs not to exceed a price tag of US$1 million.
Halt in construction
O'Rourke was removed as head architect in 1910 following a series of feuds between O'Rourke and another architect. The new architect, Mr. Waldron noticed a dangerous shift in weight and hired Fred Metcalf to observe this shift. An order went out to remove all 24 pillarColumn
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s, excavate underneath, re-level the ground and reset 22 pillars. The decision to drop the two remaining pillars allowed the elimination of the clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
wall connecting the nave and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, thus opening the transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
a full one-hundred-sixty-five feet. As the arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
es and clerestory began to rise in the latter half of 1910, extra reinforcement was provided in the form of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
girder
Girder
A girder is a support beam used in construction. Girders often have an I-beam cross section for strength, but may also have a box shape, Z shape or other forms. Girder is the term used to denote the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams...
s at the clerestory level down either side of the nave and around the ambulatory.
Design changes
The original English/Irish-gothic style was switched to a French-gothic one with those plans accepted in June 1913 and work starting in August 1913. Changes included:- reducing the height of the front towers to 232 feet (from 332 feet);
- eliminating the pointed spireSpireA spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
s because of concern over too much weight on a tower; - eliminating the exterior nave buttressButtressA buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and pinnaclePinnacleA pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s,; - substituting three rose windows instead of a concentricConcentricConcentric objects share the same center, axis or origin with one inside the other. Circles, tubes, cylindrical shafts, disks, and spheres may be concentric to one another...
-circle design; and - increasing use of sculptures at the entrances.
Final stages
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
d roof in November 1919. The granite tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
canopies and medallions were finished and, by July 1924, the windows were completed. With this, the building was finally insulated for the first time since the construction's start. The carving of the medallions' scriptural scenes and bishops' portraits took place on-site between April 1922 and November 1924 under the direction of Rochette and Parzini of New York City.
In 1925, officials wanted the cathedral to be completed by December 1926 in time for the 50th anniversary of O'Connor's ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. The dedication
Dedication
Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church or other sacred building. It also refers to the inscription of books or other artifacts when these are specifically addressed or presented to a particular person. This practice, which once was used to gain the patronage and support of...
was postponed because of a dispute over the type of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
used and the many delays in construction. Limestone installation, vaulting
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
, the work on the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
floor and sacristies
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
continued.
With O'Connor's death in May 1927, construction had to be completed on the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
where he would be laid to rest.
General work re-commenced in August 1927 and ended some months later with the installation of an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Botticino
Botticino
Botticino is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy. The comune was created in 1928 by the union of the former comuni of Botticino Mattina and Botticino Sera which today, together with San Gallo, are classified as the municipality’s three frazioni.It is bounded by the...
-marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
purchased from the Benziger Brothers of New York City.
Pre-dedication
The new bishop, Thomas Joseph Walsh, opened the cathedral even though it was still under construction. Walsh believed it was time for the cathedral to be open even though it was unfinished.The first ordination was his own as Bishop of Newark on May 1, 1928. A Pontifical Mass
Pontifical High Mass
In the context of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Catholic Church, a Pontifical High Mass, also called Solemn Pontifical Mass, is a Solemn or High Mass celebrated by a bishop using certain prescribed ceremonies. The term is also used among Anglo-Catholic Anglicans.-Origins:In the early Church,...
followed, celebrated by Father Joseph H. Conroy, with a crowd of nearly 4,000 people.
Walsh's elevation to Archbishop of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
took place on April 27, 1938. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
on July 29, 1943, and the 50th anniversary of his ordination as a priest on May 1, 1950.
During the pre-dedication, Walsh ordained six bishops in the cathedral.
Dedication
After nearly 95 years of planning and building, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was finally dedicated by Thomas Aloysius BolandThomas Aloysius Boland
Thomas Aloysius Boland was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Newark from 1952 to 1974, having previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Newark and Bishop of Paterson .-Early life and education:Thomas Boland was born in Orange, New Jersey, to John Peter and...
, Archbisop of Newark, on October 19, 1954. During the ceremony, Boland received the pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
from then-Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, Apostolic Nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
(delegate) to the United States.
Post-dedication
The Reverend Monsignor Joseph A. Doyle, who spent his entire priestly life in the cathedral parish, was appointed first rectorRector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
.
In addition to the six bishops he ordained during the pre-dedication, Boland ordained many priests in this cathedral and showed people's contributions in this church.
Thousands came to celebrate his Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
in 1972. In 1974, he named his successor Father
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
Peter Leo Gerety
Peter Leo Gerety
Peter Leo Gerety is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Newark from 1974 to 1986, having previously served as Bishop of Portland...
from Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
Visit by Pope John Paul II and Cathedral's elevation to Basilica
During Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's visit to the United States in 1995, he celebrated evening prayer at the Cathedral. At this occasion, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was elevated to a basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
to become the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
Music at the Cathedral Basilica
The Cathedral Basilica holds concerts open to the public throughout the year and it has the largest pipe organPipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
ever built by the Schantz Organ Co.
Schantz Organ Co.
The Schantz Organ Company of Orrville, Ohio is a major, national builder and restorer of the pipe organ. Their facilities are located in Orrville, Wayne County Ohio, about 70 kilometers due south of Cleveland, Ohio.- History :...
which includes 154 ranks
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
playable from two consoles
Organ console
thumb|right|250px|The console of the [[Wanamaker Organ]] in the Macy's department store in [[Philadelphia]], featuring six manuals and colour-coded stop tabs....
.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, New Jersey