Cathedral of Saint Joseph of Wheeling
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of Saint Joseph of Wheeling or Saint Joseph's Cathedral is the seat of the bishop
of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
. In addition to being the seat of the bishop, the cathedral is home to the oldest congregation in the city of Wheeling
, West Virginia
.
in April 1926. The building is successor to the original cathedral, which was constructed in 1847.
In 1973, the church was renovated in order to comply with the post-Vatican II liturgy
. In this renovation the altar
was moved forward and various other changes were made.
The building was designed by Edward Weber and is a stunning example of Neo-Romanesque architecture. It cost about $500,000 to build in 1926, which is approximately equivalent to $5,540,000 in 2006.
Currently the pastor
of the cathedral is the Most Reverend Michael Joseph Bransfield
, bishop of the diocese; the Rector
is Monsignor
Kevin Quirk.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the state of West Virginia. It is a conjoined diocese with two centers of worship, one day expected to be split into two separate...
. In addition to being the seat of the bishop, the cathedral is home to the oldest congregation in the city of Wheeling
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
History
The present building was dedicated by Bishop John Joseph SwintJohn Joseph Swint
John Joseph Swint was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wheeling from 1922 until his death in 1962.-Biography:...
in April 1926. The building is successor to the original cathedral, which was constructed in 1847.
In 1973, the church was renovated in order to comply with the post-Vatican II 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 this renovation the 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...
was moved forward and various other changes were made.
The building was designed by Edward Weber and is a stunning example of Neo-Romanesque architecture. It cost about $500,000 to build in 1926, which is approximately equivalent to $5,540,000 in 2006.
Currently the pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the cathedral is the Most Reverend Michael Joseph Bransfield
Michael Joseph Bransfield
Michael Joseph Bransfield is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who currently serves as Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston.-Biography:...
, bishop of the diocese; the Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
is 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"...
Kevin Quirk.