Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales in Oakland
Encyclopedia
Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales in Oakland was an 1893 church, which served as the cathedral
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
in Oakland, California
from 1962 until it was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
St. Francis de Sales was built in 1893, seven years after the St. Francis de Sales parish was formed. The funding for the church was provided in large part by a $125,000 donation from an Irish immigrant, Mary J. Canning. The structure was designed in a Norman
Gothic
style, made of red brick, with a steeple and stained glass windows.
In 1962, the Diocese of Oakland was created, and St. Francis de Sales was designated as its cathedral. The structure underwent extensive renovations, which included painting the red brick white and removing the altar rail. On February 4, 1967, Bishop Floyd L. Begin presided over its rededication.
The musical program at St. Francis de Sales achieved acclaim in the 1970s and 1980s. Local newspapers referred to the "Oakland Cathedral Sound," which earned a national reputation. Contributing to the musical program was a Schoenstein pipe organ, installed in 1982.
The cathedral suffered some damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. One year later, Bishop John Cummins announced that the structure would have to be torn down because the diocese could not afford the repairs, and in 1993 the cathedral was demolished. The estimated cost of repairing and performing seismic upgrades of both St. Frances de Sales and the Sacred Heart Church, also damaged in the earthquake, was $8 million.
A new parish cathedral, called Cathedral of Christ the Light
, was built on another site at an estimated cost of $131 million. Christ the Light was consecrated and dedicated by Bishop Allen Henry Vigneron
on September 25, 2008.
37.8110387°N 122.2727471°W
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Northern California. The diocese comprises Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
from 1962 until it was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
St. Francis de Sales was built in 1893, seven years after the St. Francis de Sales parish was formed. The funding for the church was provided in large part by a $125,000 donation from an Irish immigrant, Mary J. Canning. The structure was designed in a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
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....
style, made of red brick, with a steeple and stained glass windows.
In 1962, the Diocese of Oakland was created, and St. Francis de Sales was designated as its cathedral. The structure underwent extensive renovations, which included painting the red brick white and removing the altar rail. On February 4, 1967, Bishop Floyd L. Begin presided over its rededication.
The musical program at St. Francis de Sales achieved acclaim in the 1970s and 1980s. Local newspapers referred to the "Oakland Cathedral Sound," which earned a national reputation. Contributing to the musical program was a Schoenstein pipe organ, installed in 1982.
The cathedral suffered some damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. One year later, Bishop John Cummins announced that the structure would have to be torn down because the diocese could not afford the repairs, and in 1993 the cathedral was demolished. The estimated cost of repairing and performing seismic upgrades of both St. Frances de Sales and the Sacred Heart Church, also damaged in the earthquake, was $8 million.
A new parish cathedral, called Cathedral of Christ the Light
Cathedral of Christ the Light
The Cathedral of Christ the Light and also called the Oakland Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland in Oakland, California. It is the seat of the Bishop of Oakland...
, was built on another site at an estimated cost of $131 million. Christ the Light was consecrated and dedicated by Bishop Allen Henry Vigneron
Allen Henry Vigneron
-References:-External links:[Oakland Diocese Biography http://www.oakdiocese.org/notes.htm]...
on September 25, 2008.
External links
37.8110387°N 122.2727471°W