St. Mary's Cathedral (Portland)
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland
in Portland
, Oregon
, United States
and serves Roman Catholics
in western Oregon.
authorized construction of a new cathedral at the corner of NW 18th and Couch streets. In less than a year, on February 14, 1926, the new church opened.
The cathedral was restored for the 150th anniversary of the Portland Archdiocese in 1984. The restoration included seismic strengthening, electrical, heating, and lighting updating, as well as liturgical and artistic modifications.
and the Sacred Heart
against the north walls of both transepts were carved in Switzerland
and brought to the earlier 3rd and Stark Street cathedral by the Benedictine
monks, who later founded Mount Angel Abbey
.
was laid in 1926. The new marble on the floor in the remainder of the cathedral is a pattern of several Italian
marbles.
s.
in cast bronze
on the exterior. Letters on the granite sign are Roman majuscules from the Trajan
inscription in Rome
. The coat of arms
on the sign is of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland
The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It encompasses the western part of the state of Oregon, from the summit of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean...
in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and serves Roman Catholics
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...
in western Oregon.
History
In 1925 Archbishop Alexander ChristieAlexander Christie (bishop)
Alexander Christie was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Vancouver Island and Archbishop of Oregon City ....
authorized construction of a new cathedral at the corner of NW 18th and Couch streets. In less than a year, on February 14, 1926, the new church opened.
The cathedral was restored for the 150th anniversary of the Portland Archdiocese in 1984. The restoration included seismic strengthening, electrical, heating, and lighting updating, as well as liturgical and artistic modifications.
Statues
The marble statues of MaryMary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
and the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
against the north walls of both transepts were carved in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and brought to the earlier 3rd and Stark Street cathedral by the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monks, who later founded Mount Angel Abbey
Mount Angel Abbey
Mount Angel Abbey is a community of Benedictine monks near the city of Mt. Angel, Oregon, United States. It was established in 1882 from the Abbey of Engelberg, Switzerland. The abbey, located on the top of Mount Angel, a 485-foot high butte, has its own post office separate from the city of Mt....
.
Floor and walls
The marble floor in the apseApse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
was laid in 1926. The new marble on the floor in the remainder of the cathedral is a pattern of several Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
marbles.
Narthex doors and art glass
The glass etching contains subtle symbols of the seven SacramentSacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s.
Outside doors and granite sign
The doors are white oakOak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
in cast bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
on the exterior. Letters on the granite sign are Roman majuscules from the Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
inscription in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The 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...
on the sign is of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland
The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It encompasses the western part of the state of Oregon, from the summit of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean...
.