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Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist (Charleston)
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is the mother church
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, located in Charleston, South Carolina
. The Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone, D.D., the thirteenth Bishop of Charleston, was ordained and installed on March 25, 2009.
The first brownstone cathedral was built in 1854 and named the Cathedral of Saint John and Saint Finbar
. It burned down in a great fire in December 1861. After being rebuilt it was re-named the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. It is actually built on the foundation of the previous cathedral. Architect Patrick Keely
designed both the original cathedral and its replacement.
The Cathedral seats 720 people and is noted for its Franz Mayer & Co.
stained glass, hand painted Stations of the Cross
, and neo-gothic architecture. The cornerstone was laid in 1890, and the church opened in 1907. The spire was not built at the time due to the lack of funds during the construction of the cathedral and its numerous renovations. The church was finally completed on March 25, 2010 with the addition of the steeple with bells.
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lattice
and is topped with a 16x9 foot gilded copper
Celtic cross
. The arches below were fabricated from a special fiberglass
used in ship building, which was then clad in copper. The arches
are decorated by brown cast stone pinnacles on each corner. The belfry
section is also constructed of brown cast stone. It has copper louvers. The new spire was designed by Glenn Keyes Architects using a sketch of the steeple from the original 1851 building.
bells form an E major
chord. These bells were cast by Christoph Paccard Bell Foundries
in France. They were blessed by Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone on October 15, 2009.
stained-glass windows. It has a couple one-of-a-kind windows.
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, located in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. The Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone, D.D., the thirteenth Bishop of Charleston, was ordained and installed on March 25, 2009.
The first brownstone cathedral was built in 1854 and named the Cathedral of Saint John and Saint Finbar
Cathedral of Saint John and Saint Finbar
The Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar was the first Roman Catholic cathedral in Charleston, South Carolina. Begun in 1850 and consecrated on April 6, 1854, it was destroyed on December 11, 1861, in a fire that ravaged much of Charleston. A new cathedral—the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist,...
. It burned down in a great fire in December 1861. After being rebuilt it was re-named the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. It is actually built on the foundation of the previous cathedral. Architect Patrick Keely
Patrick Keely
Patrick Charles Keely was an Irish-American architect based in Brooklyn, New York and Providence, Rhode Island...
designed both the original cathedral and its replacement.
The Cathedral seats 720 people and is noted for its Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co. is a famous German stained glass design and manufacturing company, based in Munich, Germany, that has been active throughout most of the world for over 150 years...
stained glass, hand painted Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
, and neo-gothic architecture. The cornerstone was laid in 1890, and the church opened in 1907. The spire was not built at the time due to the lack of funds during the construction of the cathedral and its numerous renovations. The church was finally completed on March 25, 2010 with the addition of the steeple with bells.
Bishops
For earlier bishops see List of Bishops of Charleston.- The Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone, D.D., Bishop of Charleston
- The Most Reverend David B. ThompsonDavid B. ThompsonDavid Bernard Thompson is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston from 1990 to 1999.-Biography:David Thompson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After studying at St...
, D.D, J.C.L., Bishop Emeritus of Charleston
Rectors of the Cathedral
- Reverend Monsignor Budds
- Reverend Father Charles Rowland
- Reverend Monsignor Samuel Miglarese (unknown-1997)
- Reverend Monsignor Chester M. Moczydlowski (1998–2002)
- Reverend Monsignor Joseph R. Roth, P.A. (2002–2007)
- Reverend Father Gregory B. Wilson (2007-2011)
- Reverend Monsignor Steven L. Brovey (2011-present)
Adjunct Priests
- Reverend Monsignor Thomas X. Hoffman, J.C.L., Adjutant Judicial Vicar
- Reverend Father John H. Dux, C.H.C., C.D.R. U.S.N. (Retired)
100th Anniversary Renovations
In 2007 former Bishop of Charleston the Most Rev.Robert J. Baker,D.D., S.T.D. & the former Cathedral Rector Rev. Msgr. Joseph Roth, P.A. announced plans to renovate and complete the cathedral nearly one-hundred years after it opened. The stained-glass windows were refurbished in December 2007. The brownstone has been refurbished, the mortar has been replaced and, after 103 years of waiting, a spire with 3 bells now tops the Cathedral. A $6.2 million contract for restoration and the steeple addition was completed on March 25, 2010.Chapels
- Sacred Heart - The chapel is situated just to the left of the cathedraCathedraA cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
. It originally served as the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, reflecting the fact that in certain Masses prior to 1968, when the bishop had to sit in front of the altar, the Blessed Sacrament would be removed to this altar so that he would not have his back to the reserved Sacrament. In 2008 it briefly became the Chapel of Saint Paul for the Year of Saint Paul. Then in 2009, it became the Sacred Heart Chapel, housing a lovely early 1900s statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with hands extended in blessing. - Blessed Virgin Mary - The altar in this chapel is adorned with an Italian Marble statue of the Madonna and Child, sculpted by the German artist Ferdinand Pettrich. The statue is considered unique as it depicts Mary without a head covering, holding the child Jesus as a toddler. It is sometimes referred to as Our Lady of the South or Our Lady of the Confederacy (though not officially) having been purchased by Bishop Lynch, the Confederate Ambassador to the Holy SeeHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and third Bishop of Charleston. - Our Lady of Grace - The main lower chapel used for daily Masses.
- Crypt Chapel - The resting place of the first five bishops of Charleston and Joanna Monica England, sister of the First Bishop of Charleston John England. The bishops vest here for Holy Mass. In this chapel is a nicheNiche (architecture)A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
holding a statue of St. Joseph and the child Jesus.
Spire & Belltower
The Cathedral with its new spire is the seventh tallest building in the city. The spire is covered in copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
lattice
Latticework
Latticework is a framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of building material, typically wood or metal. The design is created by crossing the strips to form a network...
and is topped with a 16x9 foot gilded copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
Celtic cross
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
. The arches below were fabricated from a special fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
used in ship building, which was then clad in copper. The arches
Arches
-Places:* Arches National Park in the U.S. state of Utah* Arches, Cantal, a commune of the Cantal département, in France* Arches, Vosges, a commune of the Vosges département, in France-Other:* Arches of the foot...
are decorated by brown cast stone pinnacles on each corner. The belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
section is also constructed of brown cast stone. It has copper louvers. The new spire was designed by Glenn Keyes Architects using a sketch of the steeple from the original 1851 building.
Bells
The bells were placed in the Cathedral tower on November 16, 2009. Together the three bronzeBronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
bells form an E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
chord. These bells were cast by Christoph Paccard Bell Foundries
Fonderie Paccard
Fonderie Paccard is a French foundry founded in 1796, which has cast more than 120,000 bells located throughout the world. The foundry has been continuously operated for seven generations by the Paccard family. The largest bell cast by Paccard is the World Peace Bell....
in France. They were blessed by Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone on October 15, 2009.
- Saint Therese
- Note:B-3
- Inscription: Revelation 5:12
- Saint Finbar
- Note:G#-3
- Inscription: Psalm 104:33
- Maria Stella Maris (LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
:Mary, Star of the Sea)- Note:E-3
- Inscription: Psalm 95:1
Upper Church
The Cathedral is noted for its Franz Mayer & Co.Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co. is a famous German stained glass design and manufacturing company, based in Munich, Germany, that has been active throughout most of the world for over 150 years...
stained-glass windows. It has a couple one-of-a-kind windows.
- The three sets of doors are all surmounted by rose windows that are of a unique design (the design is only known to be used by Patrick KeelyPatrick KeelyPatrick Charles Keely was an Irish-American architect based in Brooklyn, New York and Providence, Rhode Island...
). Each window has a coat of arms in its center.- The Main Doors - Bishop Northop's Coat of arms
- The East Doors - the State of South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
's Coat of arms - The West Doors - Pope Saint Pius X's Coat of arms
- The large Life of Christ windows adorn the sides of the lower nave.
- The windows in the upper nave are known as the Gallery of the Saints. They depict 28 saints.
- The sides of the Sanctuary are adorned with windows depicting the 4 Gospel writers with their winged creatures. Above the High Altar is the Chancel window. The top section is a rose window depicting St. John the Baptist baptizing Jesus with the Holy Spirit above. It is surrounded by 8 adoring angels playing instruments. Above the Rose window is a Sacred HeartSacred HeartThe Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
. To the left of the Rose window is a pelicanPelicanA pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
feeding her three newborn pelicans, and to the right is the Lamb of GodLamb of GodThe title Lamb of God appears in the Gospel of John, with the exclamation of John the Baptist: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" in John 1:29 when he sees Jesus....
. Below all of this is a 5-light replica of Da Vinci's Last SupperLast SupperThe Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
. - The Sacred Heart Chapel is adorned with 7 windows depicting symbols related to the EucharistEucharistThe 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...
. This reflects the fact that, in some Masses prior to 1968, when the liturgy required the Bishop to sit in front of the altar, the Blessed Sacrament was removed from the high altar and reserved in this chapel. This chapel has one floral designed window that can partially be seen because it is behind the altar. - The Madonna & Child Chapel is adorned with 7 windows depicting symbols related to Mary, Mother of God. This chapel has one floral designed window that is completely covered by the altar.
Lower Church
- The Chapel of Our Lady of Grace is adorned on one side with eigh stained-glass windows removed from the former Immaculate Conception Church in Charleston. It originally had 20 windows from the church, but 12 were removed for various reasons over the years.
- The Crypt Chapel is adorned with windows made from pieces of 4 of the 12 windows that were removed from the Chapel of Our Lady of Grace.
Director of Music
- Director of Music and Organist (1950-1991): Virginia Sturken
- Director of Music (1991-2000): Bill Schlitt
- Director of Music and Principal Organist (2000-2009): Mark Thomas
- Organist and Choirmaster (May 2010-date): Scott TurkingtonScott TurkingtonScott Turkington is currently the principal organist and choirmaster for the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Charleston, South Carolina...
Organs
- The Upper Church Organ is a Bedient Pipe Organ, Opus 22, Mechanical Action Tracker. It was originally installed in Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral, Louisville, Kentucky (built 1986). It was reinstalled in 1995 in Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Charleston, South Carolina.
- The Chapel of Our Lady of Grace has a Vocalion Reed Organ that is not in working order.
- The Cathedral also has small a portable pipe organ with wheels.