Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Grand Island, Nebraska)
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as St. Mary’s Cathedral, is the cathedral church
for the Diocese of Grand Island
located in Grand Island, Nebraska
, United States
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
, Patrick and Richard Moore, settled in Hall County, Nebraska
. They are believed to be the first Catholic settlers in the county. Other Catholic families moved to the area as well. The first priest to visit the area, the Rev. Almire Fairmont, arrived two years later. He celebrated Mass in the Moores' log dwelling, which was located three miles west of the present town of Wood River
. In the following years, a priest from Omaha
or Columbus
would visit once a year to celebrate Mass and administer the Sacraments.
After the railroad arrived in Hall County in 1868, it was decided that a church should be built. The Union Pacific Railroad
donated the land in Grand Island in 1869 and a church, named St. Mary’s, was built under the direction of the Rev. M.J. Ryan. The building, however, was destroyed by a windstorm before its dedication. A second attempt at building a church in 1873 was stopped because of an economic depression. A third attempt was initiated on February 17, 1877. The cornerstone
was laid on May 7; the building was completed in July, and the new church was dedicated in September 1877. It was a frame structure built on a brick foundation. The Rev. P.J. Erlach was named the parish’s first resident pastor in that year.
The parish continued to grow, and by the late 1880s a larger church was needed. The Rev. Wunibald Wolf was sent to Grand Island to build the church. Bishop James O’Connor
of Omaha
laid the cornerstone for the new church on August 15, 1888; the building was dedicated on July 7, 1889 by the diocesan vicar general
, the Rev. R. Schaffel. The new brick and stone church measured 44 by 119 ft (13.4 by 36.3 m), and featured two bell towers 104 feet (31.7 m) high; it cost $20,000 to build.
divided the Diocese of Omaha into two parts, establishing the Diocese of Kearney in western Nebraska. Four years later, Pope Benedict XV
added four additional counties to the new diocese. In 1917, the see city
was moved from Kearney
to Grand Island, and the diocese was renamed accordingly.
St. Mary’s Church, however, was considered inadequate for a cathedral. Bishop James Duffy
studied building styles during his travels. He decided on the Gothic Revival style and construction was begun in 1926 and completed in 1928. The new cathedral was designed by Brinkman & Hagan and was modeled after Sainte-Chapelle
in Paris
. Cardinal Patrick Hayes of New York
consecrated the new cathedral on July 5, 1928. The parish continued to grow and in 1949 Blessed Sacrament parish was created on the north side of the city. The present rectory
was completed in 1951. The old rectory and two other houses were used as a convent
until the present convent was completed in 1967.
The cathedral was redecorated in the 1950s and again in the 1980s. Old St. Mary’s, which had been used as a gymnasium, was torn down in 1965. Two new parishes were created in Grand Island in 1973. St. Leo’s was created in the southwest part of the city and Resurrection in the northwest. A new social hall was built on the site of the old St. Mary’s School in 2001.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
for the Diocese of Grand Island
Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island is a Roman Catholic diocese in Grand Island, Nebraska. It is suffragan to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha. It was founded on April 11, 1917, after a decree from Pius X in 1912 with the first bishop appointed in 1913...
located in Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 48,520 at the 2010 census.Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was 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...
in 1982.
Parish and church
In 1859 two brothers from Iowa City, IowaIowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
, Patrick and Richard Moore, settled in Hall County, Nebraska
Hall County, Nebraska
-History:Hall County was formed in 1858. It was named after Augustus Hall, an early judge of this territory.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 53,534 people, 20,356 households, and 14,086 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile...
. They are believed to be the first Catholic settlers in the county. Other Catholic families moved to the area as well. The first priest to visit the area, the Rev. Almire Fairmont, arrived two years later. He celebrated Mass in the Moores' log dwelling, which was located three miles west of the present town of Wood River
Wood River, Nebraska
Wood River is a city in Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,204 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Grand Island, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wood River is located at ....
. In the following years, a priest from Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
or Columbus
Columbus, Nebraska
Columbus is a city in east central Nebraska, United States. Its population was 22,111 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Platte County.-Pre-settlement history:...
would visit once a year to celebrate Mass and administer the Sacraments.
After the railroad arrived in Hall County in 1868, it was decided that a church should be built. The Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
donated the land in Grand Island in 1869 and a church, named St. Mary’s, was built under the direction of the Rev. M.J. Ryan. The building, however, was destroyed by a windstorm before its dedication. A second attempt at building a church in 1873 was stopped because of an economic depression. A third attempt was initiated on February 17, 1877. The cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
was laid on May 7; the building was completed in July, and the new church was dedicated in September 1877. It was a frame structure built on a brick foundation. The Rev. P.J. Erlach was named the parish’s first resident pastor in that year.
The parish continued to grow, and by the late 1880s a larger church was needed. The Rev. Wunibald Wolf was sent to Grand Island to build the church. Bishop James O’Connor
James O'Connor (archbishop)
James O'Connor, D.D. was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Omaha.Born in Queenstown, Ireland, he went to America at the age of fifteen. He was educated at St. Charles's Seminary, Philadelphia, and in the Propaganda College, Rome where he was ordained a priest in 1848...
of Omaha
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the midwestern region of the United States. Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss...
laid the cornerstone for the new church on August 15, 1888; the building was dedicated on July 7, 1889 by the diocesan vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
, the Rev. R. Schaffel. The new brick and stone church measured 44 by 119 ft (13.4 by 36.3 m), and featured two bell towers 104 feet (31.7 m) high; it cost $20,000 to build.
Diocese and cathedral
On March 8, 1912, Pope Pius XPope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
divided the Diocese of Omaha into two parts, establishing the Diocese of Kearney in western Nebraska. Four years later, Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
added four additional counties to the new diocese. In 1917, the see city
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...
was moved from Kearney
Kearney, Nebraska
Kearney is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 at the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska-Kearney....
to Grand Island, and the diocese was renamed accordingly.
St. Mary’s Church, however, was considered inadequate for a cathedral. Bishop James Duffy
James Albert Duffy
Bishop James Albert Duffy was the first bishop for the Diocese of Grand Island in Nebraska.He was ordained on 27 May 1893, and appointed to Grand Island on 25 January 1913. He remained its bishop until 1931, after which he became Titular Bishop of Silandus...
studied building styles during his travels. He decided on the Gothic Revival style and construction was begun in 1926 and completed in 1928. The new cathedral was designed by Brinkman & Hagan and was modeled after Sainte-Chapelle
Sainte-Chapelle
La Sainte-Chapelle is the only surviving building of the Capetian royal palace on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris, France. It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion Relics, including the Crown of Thorns - one of the most important relics in medieval...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Cardinal Patrick Hayes of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
consecrated the new cathedral on July 5, 1928. The parish continued to grow and in 1949 Blessed Sacrament parish was created on the north side of the city. The present rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
was completed in 1951. The old rectory and two other houses were used as a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
until the present convent was completed in 1967.
The cathedral was redecorated in the 1950s and again in the 1980s. Old St. Mary’s, which had been used as a gymnasium, was torn down in 1965. Two new parishes were created in Grand Island in 1973. St. Leo’s was created in the southwest part of the city and Resurrection in the northwest. A new social hall was built on the site of the old St. Mary’s School in 2001.