Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is the episcopal see
of the Catholic
Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and designated a Milwaukee Landmark. It is located just east of Cathedral Square Park
.
purchased land for the cathedral in 1844. The cornerstone was laid on December 5, 1847, after nearly $30,000 was raised for construction. It was completed in 1852 and dedicated to John the Evangelist
. The building was designed by architect Victor Schulte in the nineteenth-century Zopfstil style and built using Cream City brick
, a distinct light colored brick found locally.
Perrin, Richard W.E. Milwaukee Landmarks ISBN The original tower was deemed unsafe and the section above the clock was replaced with a taller tower in 1893, which was designed by noted Milwaukee architects George Ferry & Alfred Clas. A fire partially destroyed the church and most of its contents in January 1935. Only the tower remained fully intact. Rebuilding was completed in time for midnight mass on Christmas Eve
of 1942.
St. John's Cathedral features thirteen large hand-cut stained glass windows made by T.C. Esser Company of Milwaukee. A large tomb-shaped baptismal pool and marble font is also situated prominently in the center of the sanctuary. In 2001 a gated garden and atrium were added at the north end of the building.
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1997.
, was the primary advocate of the renovation which he and supporters felt brought the cathedral into a more modern "post-conciliar
" style. Weakland hired liturgical consultant Richard S. Vosko
to plan the renovation. Among the most controversial elements of the renovation was the dismantling of the historic High Altar and Baldacchino in the apse
which were replaced with organ pipes. The sanctuary
and altar
was then moved forward into the nave and crowned with a fiberglass crucifix designed by Italian
sculptors Arnaldo Pomodoro
and Giuseppe Maraniell. The piece is topped with a crown of thorns, fourteen feet in diameter, which hovers over the figure of Christ.
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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...
. It 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 designated a Milwaukee Landmark. It is located just east of Cathedral Square Park
Cathedral Square Park
Cathedral Square Park is a small urban Milwaukee County Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, located to the west of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist-History:...
.
Description
Archbishop John HenniJohn Henni
John Martin Henni was a Swiss-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Archbishop of Milwaukee, serving from 1843 until his death in 1881.-Early life and education:...
purchased land for the cathedral in 1844. The cornerstone was laid on December 5, 1847, after nearly $30,000 was raised for construction. It was completed in 1852 and dedicated to John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
. The building was designed by architect Victor Schulte in the nineteenth-century Zopfstil style and built using Cream City brick
Cream City brick
Cream City brick is a cream or light yellow-colored brick made from a clay found around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the Menomonee River Valley and on the western banks of Lake Michigan...
, a distinct light colored brick found locally.
Perrin, Richard W.E. Milwaukee Landmarks ISBN The original tower was deemed unsafe and the section above the clock was replaced with a taller tower in 1893, which was designed by noted Milwaukee architects George Ferry & Alfred Clas. A fire partially destroyed the church and most of its contents in January 1935. Only the tower remained fully intact. Rebuilding was completed in time for midnight mass on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
of 1942.
St. John's Cathedral features thirteen large hand-cut stained glass windows made by T.C. Esser Company of Milwaukee. A large tomb-shaped baptismal pool and marble font is also situated prominently in the center of the sanctuary. In 2001 a gated garden and atrium were added at the north end of the building.
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1997.
Renovation and controversy
It was rededicated on February 9, 2002, following a controversial renovation project which consisted of some restoration work on the historic structure but also a radical remodeling of the interior. There was a very vocal anti-renovation group who petitioned the Vatican for a halt to the renovation. Archbishop Rembert WeaklandRembert Weakland
Rembert George Weakland was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Milwaukee from 1977 to 2002. He is the author of A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop, which explores Church reform issues, his homosexuality, and the child abuse crisis....
, was the primary advocate of the renovation which he and supporters felt brought the cathedral into a more modern "post-conciliar
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
" style. Weakland hired liturgical consultant Richard S. Vosko
Richard S. Vosko
Richard S. Vosko is a liturgical design consultant and priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany who has overseen the redesign and renovation of numerous churches and cathedrals around the country. Vosko has worked throughout the U.S. and Canada as a designer and consultant for worship...
to plan the renovation. Among the most controversial elements of the renovation was the dismantling of the historic High Altar and Baldacchino in the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
which were replaced with organ pipes. 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...
and 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 then moved forward into the nave and crowned with a fiberglass crucifix designed by Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
sculptors Arnaldo Pomodoro
Arnaldo Pomodoro
Arnaldo Pomodoro is an Italian sculptor. He was born on 23 June 1926, in Morciano, Romagna, Italy. He currently lives and works in Milan. His brother, Giò Pomodoro was also a sculptor....
and Giuseppe Maraniell. The piece is topped with a crown of thorns, fourteen feet in diameter, which hovers over the figure of Christ.