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Sacred Heart Cathedral (Davenport)
Encyclopedia
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Davenport, Iowa
, United States
, is the cathedral
parish
for the Catholic Diocese of Davenport
. The cathedral is located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River
to the east of Downtown Davenport. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Cathedral Complex. This designation includes the church building, rectory and the former convent. The cathedral is adjacent to the Cork Hill Historic District
, also on NRHP. Its location on Cork Hill, a section of the city settled by Irish immigrants, gives the cathedral its nickname Cork Hill Cathedral.
to decide to establish a new parish on top of the hill on the east side of Davenport. Antoine and Marguerite LeClaire donated the parcel of land and funds to build the church. Before this time parishioners attended St. Anthony's Church
in downtown Davenport.
On June 29, 1856 Bishop Mathias Loras
of Dubuque laid the cornerstone for the church. Antoine LeClaire
directed the construction of the church, which was named St. Margaret (or sometimes listed as St. Marguerite) in honor of St. Margaret of Scotland and Marguerite LeClaire. The church was built of red brick
in the Romanesque Revival
style.
The Rev. Andrew Trevis was named the parish’s first pastor. In 1857 the Rev. Henry Cosgrove
was assigned to St. Margaret’s after his ordination and became pastor in 1861. He was destined to spend the rest of his life associated with the parish.
During the American Civil War
from 1861-1865 the Union Army established a headquarters in Davenport. There were five army camps in the city and four of them were within St. Margaret's parish boundaries. Undoubtedly, this affected the parish and the pastor's ministry.
The parish school was established in 1859 in a frame building that was first used as the parish rectory. This building was enlarged for more classroom space and living quarters for the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
who began teaching in the school in 1861. An addition was made to the church building in 1866 forming a wing on the left side of the original church structure. A new brick school building was built between 1870-71. The present school building was constructed in 1915.
On May 8, 1881 Pope
Leo XIII established the Diocese of Davenport. The Very Rev. John McMullen, the vicar general
of the Archdiocese of Chicago
and rector
of Holy Name Cathedral
, was chosen as the first bishop, and he made St. Margaret's his cathedral parish. Father Cosgrove became the cathedral’s rector and the vicar general of the diocese.
In September 1882 Bishop McMullen established St. Ambrose Seminary and Academy, now known as St. Ambrose University, using two classrooms at St Margaret’s School. He assigned the Rev. A.J. Schulte
, St. Margaret’s assistant pastor, as the school’s first president and instructor of the classics. St. Ambrose moved to its current location on Locust Street in 1885.
On July 11, 1884 Father Cosgrove was named by Pope Leo XIII to replace Bishop McMullen as Bishop of Davenport. He was the first of three rectors to be named a bishop.
. James J. Egan
, an architect
from Chicago, was chosen to design the new cathedral. He also designed St. Ambrose Church
in Des Moines at the same time. The plans called for a church built of Bedford stone
, mined in Indiana. The Ecclesiological Society
, which had a mission of preserving Gothic architecture, was an influence in the church design. The church was built on the English parish church model. Walsh & Edwards of Davenport were chosen to be the contractor. On April 27, 1890 the cornerstone for the new building was laid. The church was finished in 1891, and the building was dedicated on November 15, 1891.
The church features an open interior without columns and altars and pews built of wood. The reliefs below the old high altar depict the sacrifice of Able, Abraham and his son Isaac, and the priest Melchizadek. The statues of St. Peter and St. Paul were added later. Gold reliquaries
that contain relics of various saints are in nooks on either side of the reredos
. The shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the left side of the church contains statues of St. Benedict on the left and St. Thomas Aquinas on the right that were added at a later date. At the base of the altar is a relief of the dormition of the Virgin. The St. Joseph shrine contains statues of St. Ignatius of Loyola on the left and St. Anthony of Padua on the right that were also added later. At the base of the altar is a relief of Joseph on his death bed with Mary and Jesus at his side. Initially, the bishop's throne was placed in the archway on the left side of the sanctuary. The large stations of the cross
are bas reliefs with wood frames that line the side walls of the church. The stained glass
windows feature bright colors and the tall windows on the sides of the church depict the Twelve Apostles. The rose window
on the front of the building includes the following Christian images: an anchor for hope, wheat for bread, a crown for Christ the King, keys for the Apostle Peter, a dove for the Holy Spirit, the cross and crown for the crucifixion, the chalice and bread for the Holy Eucharist, and a harp for music and worship. The large window over the altar depicts Jesus appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
It was Father Trevis who suggested the parish's name change and Bishop Cosgrove requested permission from Pope Leo XIII to name the new church Sacred Heart Cathedral. Both Trevis and Cosgrove had a devotion to the Sacred Heart and Bishop Cosgrove had the image emblazoned on his coat of arms
. The pope granted this permission on the grounds that a chapel dedicated to St. Margaret be maintained in the church. Sacred Heart Cathedral was the first cathedral to be dedicated to the Sacred Heart in the United States. The current rectory was built around the turn of the 20th century, and was designed to complement the cathedral’s gothic revival style.
. Once again the cathedral's rector was chosen to be a bishop. Bishop Davis was the first bishop consecrated in Sacred Heart Cathedral on November 30, 1904. He replaced Bishop Cosgrove upon the laters death two years later.
By the end of the first decade of the 20th century the parish's boundaries were set. In 1902 Our Lady of Lourdes was established in Gilbert, present day Bettendorf
, and in 1909 St. Paul the Apostle was founded in Davenport. The parish's boundaries include some of the poorer sections of the central city as well as some of Davenport's older and wealthier neighborhoods. They also include seven historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Bridge Avenue
, Cork Hill, East 14th Street
, St. Katherine's
, Village of East Davenport
, Prospect Park
, and McClellan Heights
.
Lightning
hit the building on August 20, 1928. The lightning sparked a fire between the slates of the roof and the ceiling. This caused extensive smoke and water damage to the church. Services were held in St. Margaret's Chapel during the repairs. The church was repainted in a gothic design. In order to hide the damage, the woodwork was stained a dark English Oak color.
In the 1960s and 70s, the parish implemented a number of changes, which were in line with the reforms of the Second Vatican Council
. This included setting up a new altar that allowed the priest to face the congregation, and the communion rail and the pulpit were removed. A new cathedra
, or bishop's chair, was placed against the reredos
so that he would face the congregation. The liturgies were celebrated in English instead of Latin
.
Social Ministry has been a hallmark of the cathedral parish since the pastorate of Msgr.
Sebastian Menke
. El Centro Cultural Hispano was founded in 1975 to serve the needs of Spanish-speaking people throughout the Quad City
area. Masses in Spanish
were celebrated at the cathedral starting in 1977. The Latino
community eventually relocated to St. Joseph's Church
in Davenport. A clothing center that provides free clothes to those in need was established in the cathedral basement, and later a community food pantry was started by the parish. Sacred Heart was one of the founding churches of Quad Cities Interfaith. It also started Interfaith Housing, a non-profit corporation to rehab old and rundown houses in the inner city neighborhood.
During the pastorate of Msgr. Marvin Mottet
in the 1990s the parish school merged with St. Alphonsus School in the west end for several years and formed John Paul Academy. Both parishes then continued to sponsor their own schools until 2004 when it was no longer feasible to operate separate schools. Once again the parishes joined together and with Holy Family School in central Davenport to form All Saints School. The former Holy Family School building is used by the school. Parish based religious education classes continue to be held in the Sacred Heart School building.
Extensive renovations were done to the cathedral in the early 1990s. These renovations were made possible through the result of generosity of a member of the parish who included the parish in her will
. This included replacing the roof and repainting the interior of the church. The old Kilgen
pipe organ was removed, and replaced with a new Noack
pipe organ, opus 119. A painting of St. Margaret of Scotland that hung in St Margaret's Chapel was repaired and hung in the cathedral. The painting dates to 1873 and is the work of I. Schmitt. It was originally hung in the high altar of the old cathedral. The painting was severely damaged when it was removed from the old church. It was restored in 1990 at the Intermuseum Laboratory
in Oberlin, Ohio
.
In recent years liturgies celebrated in Vietnamese
were added to accommodate the areas growing Vietnamese Community.
named Msgr. Robert Gruss
as the Bishop of Rapid City
. He had served as the cathedral's rector and the parish pastor since 2010. He was the third rector/pastor to be named a bishop.
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
for the Catholic Diocese of Davenport
Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is a diocese of the Catholic Church for the southeastern quarter of the state of Iowa. There are within the diocese...
. The cathedral is located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to the east of Downtown Davenport. 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...
as Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Cathedral Complex. This designation includes the church building, rectory and the former convent. The cathedral is adjacent to the Cork Hill Historic District
Cork Hill District
The Cork Hill District is located on a bluff northeast of downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The historic district covers and stretches from the campus of Palmer College of Chiropractic on the west to the Sacred Heart...
, also on NRHP. Its location on Cork Hill, a section of the city settled by Irish immigrants, gives the cathedral its nickname Cork Hill Cathedral.
St. Margaret’s Cathedral
The parish traces its history back to 1856, when population growth in the city of Davenport led the Dubuque DioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties. ...
to decide to establish a new parish on top of the hill on the east side of Davenport. Antoine and Marguerite LeClaire donated the parcel of land and funds to build the church. Before this time parishioners attended St. Anthony's Church
St. Anthony's Catholic Church (Davenport, Iowa)
Saint Anthony's Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. The church is located in Davenport, Iowa, United States, at the corner of 4th and Main Streets. It is the first church congregation organized in the city of Davenport and the second, after St. Raphael's...
in downtown Davenport.
On June 29, 1856 Bishop Mathias Loras
Mathias Loras
Bishop Mathias Loras was an immigrant French priest to the United States who later became the first bishop of the Dubuque Diocese in what would become the state of Iowa.-Early Life & Ministry:...
of Dubuque laid the cornerstone for the church. Antoine LeClaire
Antoine LeClaire
Antoine LeClaire was a US Army interpreter, landowner in Scott County, Iowa and Rock Island County, Illinois, businessman, philanthropist and principal founder of Davenport, Iowa-Early life:...
directed the construction of the church, which was named St. Margaret (or sometimes listed as St. Marguerite) in honor of St. Margaret of Scotland and Marguerite LeClaire. The church was built of red brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
in the Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style.
The Rev. Andrew Trevis was named the parish’s first pastor. In 1857 the Rev. Henry Cosgrove
Henry Cosgrove
Henry Cosgrove was a late 19th century and early 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the second bishop of Diocese of Davenport, in the state of Iowa from 1884-1906....
was assigned to St. Margaret’s after his ordination and became pastor in 1861. He was destined to spend the rest of his life associated with the parish.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
from 1861-1865 the Union Army established a headquarters in Davenport. There were five army camps in the city and four of them were within St. Margaret's parish boundaries. Undoubtedly, this affected the parish and the pastor's ministry.
The parish school was established in 1859 in a frame building that was first used as the parish rectory. This building was enlarged for more classroom space and living quarters for the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known by their initials BVM, is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the United States by Mother Mary Frances Clarke. BVM Sisters work in twenty-five U.S...
who began teaching in the school in 1861. An addition was made to the church building in 1866 forming a wing on the left side of the original church structure. A new brick school building was built between 1870-71. The present school building was constructed in 1915.
On May 8, 1881 Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Leo XIII established the Diocese of Davenport. The Very Rev. John McMullen, the 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...
of the Archdiocese of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
and rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Holy Name Cathedral
Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago
Holy Name Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of the Holy Name, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. It is also the parish church of the Archbishop of Chicago...
, was chosen as the first bishop, and he made St. Margaret's his cathedral parish. Father Cosgrove became the cathedral’s rector and the vicar general of the diocese.
In September 1882 Bishop McMullen established St. Ambrose Seminary and Academy, now known as St. Ambrose University, using two classrooms at St Margaret’s School. He assigned the Rev. A.J. Schulte
Aloysius Schulte
Aloysius Joseph Schulte was the 1st president of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1882 - 1891.-Biography:Schulte was born in Fort Madison, Iowa. He received his classical education from St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, and studied for the priesthood at St. John's University in...
, St. Margaret’s assistant pastor, as the school’s first president and instructor of the classics. St. Ambrose moved to its current location on Locust Street in 1885.
On July 11, 1884 Father Cosgrove was named by Pope Leo XIII to replace Bishop McMullen as Bishop of Davenport. He was the first of three rectors to be named a bishop.
A new cathedral
In 1889, Bishop Cosgrove decided that a new, larger church should be built. The initial planning was carried out by Father Trevis, who was once again assigned to St Margaret's after Cosgrove was named bishop. The assignment became too much for him however, and he was replaced by Father James DavisJames J. Davis (Catholic bishop)
James J. Davis was a 20th-century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa from 1906 to 1926.-Early life and ministry:...
. James J. Egan
James J. Egan
James J. Egan, FAIA, was an Irish-American architect and fellow of the American Institute of Architects practicing in Chicago, Illinois...
, an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
from Chicago, was chosen to design the new cathedral. He also designed St. Ambrose Church
St. Ambrose Cathedral (Des Moines)
St. Ambrose Cathedral is the cathedral parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, and is located at 607 High Street in Des Moines, Iowa in the center of the city. The facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St...
in Des Moines at the same time. The plans called for a church built of Bedford stone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
, mined in Indiana. The Ecclesiological Society
Cambridge Camden Society
The Cambridge Camden Society, later known as the Ecclesiological Society from 1845 when it moved to London, was a learned architectural society founded in 1839 by undergraduates at Cambridge University to promote "the study of Gothic Architecture, and of Ecclesiastical Antiques." Its activities...
, which had a mission of preserving Gothic architecture, was an influence in the church design. The church was built on the English parish church model. Walsh & Edwards of Davenport were chosen to be the contractor. On April 27, 1890 the cornerstone for the new building was laid. The church was finished in 1891, and the building was dedicated on November 15, 1891.
The church features an open interior without columns and altars and pews built of wood. The reliefs below the old high altar depict the sacrifice of Able, Abraham and his son Isaac, and the priest Melchizadek. The statues of St. Peter and St. Paul were added later. Gold reliquaries
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
that contain relics of various saints are in nooks on either side of the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
. The shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the left side of the church contains statues of St. Benedict on the left and St. Thomas Aquinas on the right that were added at a later date. At the base of the altar is a relief of the dormition of the Virgin. The St. Joseph shrine contains statues of St. Ignatius of Loyola on the left and St. Anthony of Padua on the right that were also added later. At the base of the altar is a relief of Joseph on his death bed with Mary and Jesus at his side. Initially, the bishop's throne was placed in the archway on the left side of the sanctuary. The large 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...
are bas reliefs with wood frames that line the side walls of the church. The stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows feature bright colors and the tall windows on the sides of the church depict the Twelve Apostles. The rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
on the front of the building includes the following Christian images: an anchor for hope, wheat for bread, a crown for Christ the King, keys for the Apostle Peter, a dove for the Holy Spirit, the cross and crown for the crucifixion, the chalice and bread for the Holy Eucharist, and a harp for music and worship. The large window over the altar depicts Jesus appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
It was Father Trevis who suggested the parish's name change and Bishop Cosgrove requested permission from Pope Leo XIII to name the new church Sacred Heart Cathedral. Both Trevis and Cosgrove had a devotion to the Sacred Heart and Bishop Cosgrove had the image emblazoned on his coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. The pope granted this permission on the grounds that a chapel dedicated to St. Margaret be maintained in the church. Sacred Heart Cathedral was the first cathedral to be dedicated to the Sacred Heart in the United States. The current rectory was built around the turn of the 20th century, and was designed to complement the cathedral’s gothic revival style.
20th Century
Bishop Cosgrove's health started to fail in the early 1900s and he requested a coadjutor bishopCoadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
. Once again the cathedral's rector was chosen to be a bishop. Bishop Davis was the first bishop consecrated in Sacred Heart Cathedral on November 30, 1904. He replaced Bishop Cosgrove upon the laters death two years later.
By the end of the first decade of the 20th century the parish's boundaries were set. In 1902 Our Lady of Lourdes was established in Gilbert, present day Bettendorf
Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the "Quad Cities". As of the 2010 United States Census the population grew to 33,217. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with...
, and in 1909 St. Paul the Apostle was founded in Davenport. The parish's boundaries include some of the poorer sections of the central city as well as some of Davenport's older and wealthier neighborhoods. They also include seven historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Bridge Avenue
Bridge Avenue Historic District
The Bridge Avenue Historic District is located on the east side of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983. The historic district stretches from River Drive along the Mississippi River up a bluff to East Ninth Street, which is...
, Cork Hill, East 14th Street
East 14th Street Historic District
Cork Hill Historic District is located on a bluff northeast of downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983.-History:...
, St. Katherine's
St. Katherine's Historic District
St. Katherine's Historic District is located on the east side Davenport, Iowa, United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the campus of a former Episcopal girl’s school named St. Katherine’s Hall. It is currently the location of a senior living facility called...
, Village of East Davenport
Village of East Davenport
The Village of East Davenport, also known simply as The Village is located along the Mississippi River on the southeast side of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as the Davenport Village...
, Prospect Park
Prospect Park Historic District (Davenport, Iowa)
The Prospect Park Historic District in Davenport, Iowa, United States is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In its area, it included 23 contributing buildings in 1984...
, and McClellan Heights
McClellan Heights Historic District
The McClellan Heights Historic District is a historic district in Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, at which time it included 354 buildings deemed to contribute to the historic character of the area. The area was known as Camp...
.
Lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
hit the building on August 20, 1928. The lightning sparked a fire between the slates of the roof and the ceiling. This caused extensive smoke and water damage to the church. Services were held in St. Margaret's Chapel during the repairs. The church was repainted in a gothic design. In order to hide the damage, the woodwork was stained a dark English Oak color.
In the 1960s and 70s, the parish implemented a number of changes, which were in line with the reforms of the Second Vatican Council
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...
. This included setting up a new altar that allowed the priest to face the congregation, and the communion rail and the pulpit were removed. A new cathedra
Cathedra
A 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...
, or bishop's chair, was placed against the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
so that he would face the congregation. The liturgies were celebrated in English instead of Latin
Latin
Latin 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...
.
Social Ministry has been a hallmark of the cathedral parish since the pastorate of Msgr.
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"...
Sebastian Menke
Sebastian Menke
Sebastian G. Menke was a 20th century Catholic priest in the United States who served as the 10th president of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1964-1973.-Early life & Education:...
. El Centro Cultural Hispano was founded in 1975 to serve the needs of Spanish-speaking people throughout the Quad City
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
area. Masses in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
were celebrated at the cathedral starting in 1977. The Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
community eventually relocated to St. Joseph's Church
St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Davenport, Iowa)
Saint Joseph Catholic Church is a former parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. The church is located in Davenport, Iowa, United States, at the corner of Marquette and W. 6th Streets. It is listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties and on the National Register of...
in Davenport. A clothing center that provides free clothes to those in need was established in the cathedral basement, and later a community food pantry was started by the parish. Sacred Heart was one of the founding churches of Quad Cities Interfaith. It also started Interfaith Housing, a non-profit corporation to rehab old and rundown houses in the inner city neighborhood.
During the pastorate of Msgr. Marvin Mottet
Marvin Mottet
Marvin Mottet is a 20th and 21st century Catholic priest in the Diocese of Davenport in the US state of Iowa. He is noted as an advocate of social justice causes.-Early life & Education:...
in the 1990s the parish school merged with St. Alphonsus School in the west end for several years and formed John Paul Academy. Both parishes then continued to sponsor their own schools until 2004 when it was no longer feasible to operate separate schools. Once again the parishes joined together and with Holy Family School in central Davenport to form All Saints School. The former Holy Family School building is used by the school. Parish based religious education classes continue to be held in the Sacred Heart School building.
Extensive renovations were done to the cathedral in the early 1990s. These renovations were made possible through the result of generosity of a member of the parish who included the parish in her will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
. This included replacing the roof and repainting the interior of the church. The old Kilgen
Kilgen
Kilgen was a prominent American builder of organs which was in business from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.-History:-The Kilgen family:...
pipe organ was removed, and replaced with a new Noack
Noack Organ Company
The Noack Organ Company is a pipe organ manufacturer based out of Georgetown, Massachusetts.Fritz Noack began the company in 1960 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Prior to that he had worked with a number of organ builders in Europe and the United States...
pipe organ, opus 119. A painting of St. Margaret of Scotland that hung in St Margaret's Chapel was repaired and hung in the cathedral. The painting dates to 1873 and is the work of I. Schmitt. It was originally hung in the high altar of the old cathedral. The painting was severely damaged when it was removed from the old church. It was restored in 1990 at the Intermuseum Laboratory
Intermuseum Conservation Association
The Intermuseum Conservation Association is a non-profit regional art conservation center located in Cleveland, OH. It was the first such regional conservation laboratory in the United States. The ICA currently offers conservation and preservation treatments for paintings, murals, works on paper,...
in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
.
In recent years liturgies celebrated in Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
were added to accommodate the areas growing Vietnamese Community.
21st Century
On May 26, 2011 Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
named Msgr. Robert Gruss
Robert Dwayne Gruss
Robert Dwayne Gruss is a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He has served as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City in the state of South Dakota since 2011.-Early life and education:...
as the Bishop of Rapid City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City is a Roman Catholic diocese in South Dakota. It was founded on August 6, 1902 as the Diocese of Lead, and was renamed on August 1, 1930.-Bishops:The past bishops of the diocese are:Bishops of Lead...
. He had served as the cathedral's rector and the parish pastor since 2010. He was the third rector/pastor to be named a bishop.
Pastors/Rectors
The following priests have served both St. Margaret's and Sacred Heart as its pastor. Since 1881 they have also served as cathedral rector:- Rev. Andrew Trevis (1856-1861)
- Rev. Henry CosgroveHenry CosgroveHenry Cosgrove was a late 19th century and early 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the second bishop of Diocese of Davenport, in the state of Iowa from 1884-1906....
(1861-1884) - Rev. Andrew Trevis (1884-1889)
- Rev. James DavisJames J. Davis (Catholic bishop)James J. Davis was a 20th-century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa from 1906 to 1926.-Early life and ministry:...
(1889-1906) - Rev. John Flannagan (1907-1926)
- Msgr. Francis Leonard (1926-1932)
- Msgr. William Shannahan (1932-1937)
- Msgr. Martin ConeMartin ConeMartin Cone was a Catholic priest in the United States and served as the 6th president of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1930-1937.-Biography:...
(1937-1953) - Msgr. Thomas Feeney (1953-1968)
- Msgr. Ralph Thompson (1968-1971)
- Msgr. Sebastian MenkeSebastian MenkeSebastian G. Menke was a 20th century Catholic priest in the United States who served as the 10th president of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1964-1973.-Early life & Education:...
(1973-1986) - Msgr. Marvin MottetMarvin MottetMarvin Mottet is a 20th and 21st century Catholic priest in the Diocese of Davenport in the US state of Iowa. He is noted as an advocate of social justice causes.-Early life & Education:...
(1986-2005) - Rev. Robert Busher (2005-2010)
- Msgr. Robert GrussRobert Dwayne GrussRobert Dwayne Gruss is a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He has served as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City in the state of South Dakota since 2011.-Early life and education:...
(2010-2011) - Rev. Richard Adam (2011-Present)