Cathedral Church of All Saints, Milwaukee
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Church of All Saints is the bishop's church of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee
, in Milwaukee
, Wisconsin
, USA
. The current parish is a descendant of a small mission by the Right Reverend Jackson Kemper
. It is located in Milwaukee's downtown Yankee Hill neighborhood.
The Gothic Revival church building was designed by E. Townsend Mix
, a noted Milwaukee architect, and constructed as Olivet Congregational Church
in 1868. The building was sold to the Episcopal diocese in 1871 when the Olivet congregation faced bankruptcy, and was consecrated as a cathedral in 1898.
The cathedral complex, which includes the church, an attached guild hall and nearby bishop's manse, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and was designated a Milwaukee City Landmark in 1973. The tower and steeple, approximately 200 feet tall, houses a bronze bell cast in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
in 1867 one year before the church was built. It measures almost 40 inches in diameter at the mouth, weighs approximately 1,200 pounds and is tuned to an A. Currently, the cathedral is raising money to hang an additional five bells, tuned to F, E-flat, D, C, and B-flat http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=549153. All bells will be rung by a computerized external striker, and the pre-existing bell can also be swung to ring it. Since renovation in the 1950s the steeple cross is mounted out-of-line with the facade, slightly angled towards Lake Michigan
.
In the liturgical "east end" of the sanctuary, elevated on a triple-step dais of white marble, stands the high altar and triptych
presented as a memorial gift to the cathedral in 1922. The Sienna marble altar and triptych was designed and built by Eugene W. Mason, Jr. of New York City
, and is of Italian Gothic styling. Embossed in the bronze door of the tabernacle is the "Agnus Dei," the Lamb of God, signifying the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist
. The figures on the predella
(just below the center panel) are from the left: Saints Thomas Becket
, Joan of Arc
, St. Mary the Virgin, Francis of Assisi
, and Demetrius of Alexandria
.
Most of the stained glass windows in the cathedral were designed and produced in England
, most by Lavers and Westlake of London
. A large rondel window of Christ the King was made by Heaton, Butler, and Bayne, also of London.
Today's church features a liturgy
in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. The congregation is small, including only around 250 members.
Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee
Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America located in the southern area of Wisconsin. It is in Province V . The Rt. Reverend Steven Miller is the bishop.-Cathedral:...
, in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The current parish is a descendant of a small mission by the Right Reverend Jackson Kemper
Jackson Kemper
Bishop Jackson Kemper was the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.Baptized David Jackson Kemper by Dr...
. It is located in Milwaukee's downtown Yankee Hill neighborhood.
The Gothic Revival church building was designed by E. Townsend Mix
E. Townsend Mix
Edward Townsend Mix was an American architect of the Gilded Age who designed several buildings in the Midwestern United States. His career was centered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and many of his designs made use of the region's distinctive Cream City brick.-Biography:Mix was born in New Haven,...
, a noted Milwaukee architect, and constructed as Olivet Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
in 1868. The building was sold to the Episcopal diocese in 1871 when the Olivet congregation faced bankruptcy, and was consecrated as a cathedral in 1898.
The cathedral complex, which includes the church, an attached guild hall and nearby bishop's manse, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and was designated a Milwaukee City Landmark in 1973. The tower and steeple, approximately 200 feet tall, houses a bronze bell cast in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
in 1867 one year before the church was built. It measures almost 40 inches in diameter at the mouth, weighs approximately 1,200 pounds and is tuned to an A. Currently, the cathedral is raising money to hang an additional five bells, tuned to F, E-flat, D, C, and B-flat http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=549153. All bells will be rung by a computerized external striker, and the pre-existing bell can also be swung to ring it. Since renovation in the 1950s the steeple cross is mounted out-of-line with the facade, slightly angled towards Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
.
In the liturgical "east end" of the sanctuary, elevated on a triple-step dais of white marble, stands the high altar and triptych
Triptych
A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
presented as a memorial gift to the cathedral in 1922. The Sienna marble altar and triptych was designed and built by Eugene W. Mason, Jr. of New York City
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...
, and is of Italian Gothic styling. Embossed in the bronze door of the tabernacle is the "Agnus Dei," the Lamb of God, signifying the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. The figures on the predella
Predella
A predella is the platform or step on which an altar stands . In painting, the predella is the painting or sculpture along the frame at the bottom of an altarpiece...
(just below the center panel) are from the left: Saints Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
, Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
, St. Mary the Virgin, Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
, and Demetrius of Alexandria
Demetrius of Alexandria
Pope Demetrius of Alexandria was Patriarch of Alexandria . Sextus Julius Africanus, who visited Alexandria in the time of Demetrius, places his accession as eleventh bishop after Mark in the tenth year of Commodus; Eusebius of Caesarea's statement that it was in the tenth of Septimius Severus is a...
.
Most of the stained glass windows in the cathedral were designed and produced in 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...
, most by Lavers and Westlake of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. A large rondel window of Christ the King was made by Heaton, Butler, and Bayne, also of London.
Today's church features a liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. The congregation is small, including only around 250 members.