Sacred Heart Cathedral (Amarillo, Texas)
Encyclopedia
Sacred Heart Cathedral is a former cathedral church
located in Amarillo, Texas
, United States
. It was the seat of the Diocese of Amarillo
from 1927 to 1975.
had the first Sacred Heart Church built in 1903. The first $400 for the fund drive came out of his own funds. Ground was broken on March 17, 1903 and the first Mass was held on August 2 of the same year. The church was dedicated on October 18. As Amarillo grew it became obvious that Sacred Heart was in need of a new church. In 1909 property was purchased at the corner of Ninth and Taylor Streets for $5,000. The new church was built for $18,000 seven years later. The red brick building with white trim was built in the Romanesque Revival style. The first Mass in the uncompleted church was Father Dunn’s funeral on October 5, 1916. The church was opened for regular use in January 1917 and it was dedicated on April 13, 1918 by Bishop Joseph Patrick Lynch
of Dallas
. The old church was moved to the corner of Cleveland and 11th Streets and became Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. A two-story rectory
was built next to the church in 1922 for $16,000.
established the diocese of Amarillo. Sacred Heart Church became the cathedral for the new diocese. On April 27, 1927 Bishop Rudolph Gerken
was installed in Sacred Heart as the first Bishop of Amarillo.
In 1944 Sacred Heart Cathedral bought St. Mary’s Academy from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
for $85,000. It became the Cathedral School. Three years later a chapel from an Air Force base was moved to the school property and became a chapel of convenience for the cathedral parish. A new convent
for the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word was built in 1950. In 1959 this property became St. Mary’s Parish
, which became the Amarillo Diocese’s third cathedral in 2011.
A total of five bishops would call Sacred Heart their cathedral. By the 1970s the parish had declined to 25 families. In 1974 the property was sold to the First National Bank of Amarillo for $250,000. The final Mass in the cathedral was celebrated on January 19, 1975 by Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco
. The Cathedral Story was presented by students from Alamo Catholic High School. Msgr. Francis A. Smyer gave the homily and the Marion Mass in D minor was sung by the combined choirs of Sacred Heart and St. Laurence. Sacred Heart was torn down after the final Mass and replaced by St. Laurence Cathedral
. The windows and other articles from Sacred Heart are currently in use at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Amarillo.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
located in Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was the seat of the Diocese of Amarillo
Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo is a Roman Catholic diocese in Amarillo Texas. It was founded on August 3, 1926 .The diocese's past bishops include:*Rudolph Gerken *Robert Emmet Lucey *Laurence Julius...
from 1927 to 1975.
Sacred Heart Parish
The Rev. David H. Dunn, pastor of St. Mary’s Church in ClarendonClarendon, Texas
Clarendon is a city in Donley County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,974 at the 2000 census. The county seat of Donley County, Clarendon is located on United States Highway 287 in the Texas Panhandle some sixty miles east of Amarillo. It was established in 1878 by Methodist clergyman L.H...
had the first Sacred Heart Church built in 1903. The first $400 for the fund drive came out of his own funds. Ground was broken on March 17, 1903 and the first Mass was held on August 2 of the same year. The church was dedicated on October 18. As Amarillo grew it became obvious that Sacred Heart was in need of a new church. In 1909 property was purchased at the corner of Ninth and Taylor Streets for $5,000. The new church was built for $18,000 seven years later. The red brick building with white trim was built in the Romanesque Revival style. The first Mass in the uncompleted church was Father Dunn’s funeral on October 5, 1916. The church was opened for regular use in January 1917 and it was dedicated on April 13, 1918 by Bishop Joseph Patrick Lynch
Joseph Patrick Lynch
Joseph Patrick Lynch was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Dallas from 1911 until his death in 1954. He remains the longest-serving Catholic bishop in the United States....
of Dallas
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on July 15, 1890 by Pope Leo XIII. The diocese's cathedral is the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe....
. The old church was moved to the corner of Cleveland and 11th Streets and became Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. A two-story 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 built next to the church in 1922 for $16,000.
Sacred Heart Cathedral
On August 3, 1926 Pope Pius XIPope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
established the diocese of Amarillo. Sacred Heart Church became the cathedral for the new diocese. On April 27, 1927 Bishop Rudolph Gerken
Rudolph Gerken
Rudolph Aloysius Gerken was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Santa Fe from 1933 until his death.-Biography:...
was installed in Sacred Heart as the first Bishop of Amarillo.
In 1944 Sacred Heart Cathedral bought St. Mary’s Academy from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word is the name of two Roman Catholic religious orders based in the state of Texas.- Houston Order :...
for $85,000. It became the Cathedral School. Three years later a chapel from an Air Force base was moved to the school property and became a chapel of convenience for the cathedral parish. A new 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...
for the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word was built in 1950. In 1959 this property became St. Mary’s Parish
St. Mary’s Cathedral (Amarillo, Texas)
St. Mary’s Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral church located in Amarillo, Texas, United States. It has been the seat of the Diocese of Amarillo since 2011.-History:...
, which became the Amarillo Diocese’s third cathedral in 2011.
A total of five bishops would call Sacred Heart their cathedral. By the 1970s the parish had declined to 25 families. In 1974 the property was sold to the First National Bank of Amarillo for $250,000. The final Mass in the cathedral was celebrated on January 19, 1975 by Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco
Lawrence Michael De Falco
Lawrence Michael DeFalco was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Amarillo from 1963 to 1979.-Biography:...
. The Cathedral Story was presented by students from Alamo Catholic High School. Msgr. Francis A. Smyer gave the homily and the Marion Mass in D minor was sung by the combined choirs of Sacred Heart and St. Laurence. Sacred Heart was torn down after the final Mass and replaced by St. Laurence Cathedral
St. Laurence Catholic Church (Amarillo, Texas)
St. Laurence Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Amarillo located in Amarillo, Texas, United States. It served as the cathedral church of the Diocese of Amarillo from 1975 to 2011.-History:...
. The windows and other articles from Sacred Heart are currently in use at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Amarillo.