Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist (Savannah, Georgia)

Last updated

Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - Savannah GA - panorama.jpg
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist (Savannah, Georgia)
Location222 East Harris Street, Lafayette Square, Savannah, Georgia
CountryUnited States
Denomination Roman Catholic Church
Website Savannah Cathedral Website
History
DedicatedApril 30, 1876
Architecture
Architect(s) Ephraim Francis Baldwin
Style French Gothic
Administration
Diocese Savannah
Clergy
Bishop(s) Stephen D. Parkes
Rector J. Gerard Schreck
Deacon(s) Dewain E. Smith
Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
USA Georgia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Part of Savannah Historic District (ID66000277)
Added to NRHPNovember 13, 1966 [1]

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral and minor basilica near Lafayette Square at 222 East Harris Street, Savannah, Georgia, in the United States. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah.

Contents

History

The colonial charter of Savannah prohibited Roman Catholics from settling in the city, as the English trustees feared that Roman Catholics would be more loyal to the Spanish authorities in Florida than to the English government in Georgia; however, this prohibition faded shortly after the American Revolution. [2] The church's congregation was reorganized about 1796. French Catholic émigrés established the first church after they fled Haiti in 1799, following the outbreak of slave rebellions that began on the Caribbean island in 1791. [3] [4] It became the main church for free blacks from Haiti in the early 19th century. [5] Construction began on the new Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in 1873. The structure was nearly destroyed by fire in 1898 but through diligent effort was rebuilt by 1899. The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist was the first building in Georgia constructed of brick. It features 81 stained glass windows, 16 gargoyles, is 214 feet tall with a roof height of 96 feet, took over 90,000 copper nails and 45,000 slates to construct.

The congregation constructed its first church on Liberty Square in 1779 and in 1811, chose a site on Drayton and Perry Streets for a larger building. Bishop John England of the Diocese of Charleston, which encompassed Savannah, consecrated the new church April 1, 1839. Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Savannah in July 1850. The new Cathedral was planned in 1870 under Savannah's fourth Bishop, The Right Reverend Ignatius Persico. Most Reverend James Roosevelt Bayley, Archbishop of Baltimore, presided at the dedication of the Neo-Gothic sanctuary April 30, 1876. [6] However, the brick structure lacked spires, which were not added until 1896 when it also received a coating of stucco and whitewash.

On February 6, 1898, a fire swept the building and left only the walls and spires, however the congregation quickly rebuilt and was able to celebrate Christmas Mass in the new facility in 1899. [7] Wind direction spared the Cathedral Rectory and St. Vincent's Academy. The renovated structure was not completed fully for an additional 13 years. Stained glass windows were installed around 1904. [8] The parish undertook subsequent renovation projects in 1959–1965, which addressed heating, cooling and lighting systems and decoration; 1984–1985, to reinforce structural foundations and implement changes suggested by the Second Vatican Council and 1998–2000 to install new roofing, and restore the original interior color palette and decorations. [9]

Pope Francis elevated the status of the church to minor basilica in 2020. [10] [11]

The minor basilica proclamation outside the church Stjohnminorbasilicaplaque.jpg
The minor basilica proclamation outside the church

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (San Jose)</span> Historic church in California, United States

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is a large Roman Catholic church in Downtown San Jose, which serves as the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California, with the distinction of minor basilica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace</span> Historic Roman Catholic church in Hawaii, United States

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is the mother church and cathedral of the Diocese of Honolulu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica</span> Church in Ontario, Canada

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada located on 385 Sussex Drive in the Lower Town neighbourhood. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Georgia, United States

The Diocese of Savannah is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in southern Georgia in the United States. The mother church of the diocese is Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah. The patron saint is John the Baptist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of St. John the Baptist</span> Historic church in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

The Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland and the mother church and symbol of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland. The building sits within the St. John's Ecclesiastical District, a National Historic District of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Mobile, Alabama)</span> Church in Alabama, United States

The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is a cathedral serving Roman Catholics in the U.S. city of Mobile, Alabama. It is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. The cathedral is named for Mary, mother of Jesus, under her title, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the Church Street East Historic District and Lower Dauphin Street Historic District and is listed on the Historic Roman Catholic Properties in Mobile Multiple Property Submission

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul's Basilica</span> Church in Ontario, Canada

St. Paul's Basilica is the oldest Roman Catholic congregation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 83 Power Street in the Corktown neighbourhood, just east of downtown, near the intersection of Queen and Parliament streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica (London, Ontario)</span> Church in London, Ontario

St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, is a church located at 196 Dufferin Avenue in London, Ontario, Canada in the Roman Catholic Diocese of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Basilica (Phoenix)</span> Historic Catholic church in Arizona, United States

St. Mary's Basilica – officially The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – is a church of the Diocese of Phoenix located at 231 North 3rd Street at the corner of East Monroe Street in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was previously known as St. Mary's Church. It was built from 1902 to 1914 in a combination of the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles, and was dedicated in 1915. It replaced an earlier adobe church built in 1881 when the parish was founded. From 1895 the parish was staffed by the Franciscan Friars, but it is currently staffed and operated by clergy of the Diocese of Phoenix. The current church was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angers Cathedral</span> Roman Catholic church in Angers, France

Angers Cathedral is a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Maurice in Angers, France. It is the seat of the Bishops of Angers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Christ the King (Atlanta)</span> Church in GA, United States


The Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, Georgia is the mother-church for the one million members of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. The cathedral is located at what is popularly called "Jesus Junction" on Peachtree Road, between East Wesley Road and Peachtree Road, in Atlanta's uptown Buckhead district. At present, the parish is one of the ten largest congregations in the United States, with over 5,500 families. Christ the King School also occupies the property, with an enrollment of approximately 600 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains</span> United States historic place

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains is a Catholic cathedral of the Latin Church in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The basilica is a Greek revival structure located at 8th and Plum streets in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio in the United States. It is dedicated to Saint Peter's imprisonment and liberation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate</span> Church in Ontario, Canada

Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and parish church in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. A Gothic Revival style building constructed between 1876 and 1888 by architect Joseph Connolly, it is considered Connolly's best work. The monumental church contains decorative carving and stained glass executed by skilled craftsmen. The church of Our Lady is one of the 122 parishes in the Diocese of Hamilton and currently has 2,600 families in the congregation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Anthony Cathedral Basilica</span> Historic church in Texas, United States

Saint Anthony Cathedral Basilica in Beaumont, Texas, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont. The cathedral was raised to the status of a minor basilica in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Cleveland, Ohio)</span> Church in Ohio , United States

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is a historic Roman Catholic church building located at 1007 Superior Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. Completed and consecrated in 1852, it is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Numerous renovations have enlarged and changed some aspects of the cathedral, but it remains essentially the same since its construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral (Cheyenne, Wyoming)</span> Historic church in Wyoming, United States

St. Mary's Cathedral is the cathedral and parish church in the Diocese of Cheyenne located in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption (Covington, Kentucky)</span> Historic church in Kentucky, United States

The Roman Catholic St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, is a minor basilica in the United States. Construction of the cathedral began under the Diocese of Covington's third bishop, Camillus Paul Maes, in 1895 to replace an 1834 frame church that was inadequate for the growing congregation. Pope Pius XII elevated the cathedral to the rank of minor basilica on December 8, 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart</span> Historic church in West Virginia, United States

The Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is a cathedral church and a minor basilica located in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Along with the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling it is the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. The parish complex is a contributing property in the Downtown Charleston Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. James Basilica (Jamestown, North Dakota)</span> Historic church in North Dakota, United States

St. James Basilica is a parish church in the Diocese of Fargo as well as a minor basilica located in Jamestown, North Dakota, United States. A previous church building, completed in 1882, served briefly as a cathedral in the 19th century. The present church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as St. James Catholic Church, and it was elevated to a minor basilica in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blessed Sacrament Church (Buffalo, New York)</span> Church in New York , United States

Blessed Sacrament Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Buffalo, New York, United States. Constructed in the late 19th century, it remains the home of an active congregation and has been recognized as a historically significant building in the Linwood Historic District of Buffalo.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Oglethorpe and Religion in Georgia". Georgia Historical Society . Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  3. Haiti. Paris: Dictionnaires Robert. May 27, 2015. p. 918. ISBN   978-2-321-00647-3.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. Porter, Michael, ed. (2004). Villages, Ghosts, Lovers....And Red Rice. Xlibris Corporation. p. 100. ISBN   9781465328564 . Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  5. Kadish, Doris Y., ed. (2000). Slavery in the Caribbean Francophone World: Distant Voices, Forgotten Acts, Forged Identities. University of Georgia Press. p. 85. ISBN   9780820321660 . Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  6. "The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - Discover Historic America Tours". Discover Historic America Tours. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  7. "Not just Notre Dame: Savannah's own cathedral fell victim to deadly fire over 100 years ago". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  8. "The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - Discover Historic America Tours". Discover Historic America Tours. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  9. "Church History". Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  10. "Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Named a Minor Basilica by Pope Francis". Diocese of Savannh. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  11. Jan Skutch (April 22, 2020). "Pope designates Cathedral of St. John the Baptist as minor basilica". Savannah Morning News . Savannah. Retrieved April 23, 2020.

32°04′24″N81°05′27″W / 32.07333°N 81.09088°W / 32.07333; -81.09088