Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains

Last updated
Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains
StPeterInChains.jpg
Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in downtown Cincinnati
Location Cincinnati, Ohio
Coordinates 39°6′13.89″N84°31′8.70″W / 39.1038583°N 84.5190833°W / 39.1038583; -84.5190833
Built1841-1845
Architect Henry Walter [1]
Edward J. Schulte (renovation) [2]
Architectural style Greek Revival [1]
NRHP reference No. 73001469 [1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 18, 1973 [1]

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.

Contents

The church's cornerstone was laid on May 20, 1841, under the direction of then-bishop —later archbishop — John Baptist Purcell, and the church was formally dedicated on November 2, 1845, as the first large church west of the Allegheny Mountains. [3] On June 29, 2020, Pope Francis conferred the title of minor basilica on St. Peter in Chains. [4]

Architecture

The interior of the basilica Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral (Cincinnati, Ohio) - interior, nave.jpg
The interior of the basilica

St. Peter in Chains' striking single spire, made of pure white limestone, rises 224 feet (68 m) [5] above street level, which made the church the tallest man-made structure in the city for many decades. The columns are 33 feet (10 m) high, symbolizing the number of years in Jesus' life. [3]

The interior of St. Peter in Chains is distinctly unique among Roman Catholic cathedrals in America, with its Greek-themed mosaics depicting the Stations of the Cross, its ornate Corinthian columns and its massive bronze doors. The crucifix is by Benvenuto Cellini, the murals by Carl Zimmerman and the mosaic in the apse is the work of Anton Wendling. [2]

History

The first Catholic church in Cincinnati was Christ Church, originally located at Liberty and Vine streets, then later at 6th and Sycamore streets, at what is now the site of St. Francis Xavier Church. Christ Church served as the young diocese's de facto cathedral until the first St. Peter's Cathedral was built on the site. St. Peter's was dedicated on December 17, 1826, becoming the seat of the diocese. [3]

The second and current St. Peter's Cathedral was dedicated in 1845. [3] The large stone angels that flanked the main altar were created by Odoardo Fantacchiotti in the late 1840s. [6] They were among the first European sculptures to come to Cincinnati and now grace the Cincinnati Art Museum. [7] [8]

By the 1930s, St. Peter in Chains had become dilapidated, its signature white limestone covered in soot. In 1938, Archbishop John T. McNicholas moved the archdiocesan seat from St. Peter in Chains to the more modern St. Monica's in the Clifton Heights neighborhood north of downtown. St. Peter in Chains deteriorated further as an ordinary parish church. In the mid-1950s, under Archbishop Karl Joseph Alter's urban-renewal program and in accordance with the city's master plan, St. Peter in Chains underwent significant restoration and expansion. Architect Edward J. Schulte designed new transepts, a rectory, a sacristy, and archdiocesan offices. The church was re-dedicated as a cathedral on November 3, 1957, amid celebration and fanfare. [3]

In 1977, the cathedral hosted a visit from Polish Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, who the following year became Pope John Paul II. To date, more than two dozen Roman Catholic bishops have been consecrated within its walls, and the cathedral is a popular venue for weddings, as well as the annual ordination of the archdiocese's priests and deacons.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Wisconsin, USA

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in southeast Wisconsin in the United States. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province of Milwaukee. It includes the suffragan dioceses of Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, and Superior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in US

The Archdiocese of St. Louis is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore</span> Archdiocese of the Catholic Church; premier see of the United States

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in northern and western Maryland in the United States. It is the metropolitan see of the Ecclesiastical Province of Baltimore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis (St. Louis)</span> Church in Missouri, United States

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Completed in 1914, it is the mother church of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the seat of Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski. The cathedral is named for Saint Louis and was designated a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception</span> Catholic church in Washington, D.C., U.S.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic minor basilica and national shrine in Washington D.C. It is the largest Catholic church building in North America and is also the tallest habitable building in Washington, D.C. Its construction of Byzantine and Romanesque Revival architecture began on 23 September 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Frederick Wood</span> First Archbishop of Philadelphia

James Frederick Bryan Wood was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fifth Bishop and first Archbishop of Philadelphia, serving between 1860 and his death in 1883.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Ohio, USA

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church that covers many dioceses throughout the State of Ohio in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis</span> Archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, United States

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by an archbishop who administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The archbishop has both a cathedral and co-cathedral: the mother church – the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Saint Paul, and the co-cathedral, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Oregon, USA

The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in western Oregon in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Indiana, United States

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Indiana in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Joseph Alter</span> American prelate

Karl Joseph Alter was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Toledo in Ohio (1931–1950) and as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in Ohio (1950–1969).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Ohio

The Diocese of Toledo in America is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or diocese, of the Catholic Church covering nineteen counties in northwestern Ohio in the United States.

St. Peter's Cathedral, or variations of the name, may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Houston)</span> Church in Texas, United States

The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is a place of worship located at 1111 St. Joseph Parkway in downtown Houston. The co-cathedral seats 1,820 people in its 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) sanctuary. Together with the venerable St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston, Sacred Heart serves more than 1.2 million Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo</span> Roman Catholic archdiocese in Sri Lanka

The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo is a Latin metropolitan archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church, whose ecclesiastical province covers all Sri Lanka plus the Maldives. It depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Daniel Conlon</span> American prelate

Robert Daniel Conlon is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois from 2011 to 2020. From 2002 to 2011 he served as bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville in Ohio.

Carl Kevin Moeddel was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati from 1993 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Henry Garland</span> American Roman Catholic bishop (born 1931)

James Henry Garland is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Garland served as bishop of the Diocese of Marquette in Michigan from 1992 to 2005 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in Ohio from 1984 to 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Leslie Smith</span> South African-born prelate

Peter Leslie Smith is a South African-born Catholic prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Portland since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl K. Fernandes</span> American Catholic bishop

Earl Kenneth Mario Fernandes is a Roman Catholic prelate who has served as bishop of the Diocese of Columbus in Ohio since 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. June 30, 2007.
  2. 1 2 Dorsey, Robert W., ed. (1987). Architecture and Construction in Cincinnati:Guide to Buildings, Designers & Builders. The Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati. p. 81.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Finke, Gail (October 2017). "Sixty years and counting: Cincinnati's renovated cathedral remains a neo-classical gem". The Catholic Telegraph. Vol. 186, no. 10. pp. 14, 21.[ dead link ]
  4. ↑ "Pope Francis Designates the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains a Minor Basilica". The Catholic Telegraph . August 15, 2020. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  5. ↑ Foster, Ellsworth D.; Hughes, James Laughlin (1922). The American Educator. Ralph Durham Company. p. 823.
  6. ↑ Rolfes, Steven (October 29, 2012). Cincinnati Landmarks. Arcadia Publishing. p. 25. ISBN   978-0-7385-9395-1 . Retrieved 2013-05-19.
  7. ↑ "About the Collection: Praying Angel". Cincinnati Art Museum. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  8. ↑ "About the Collection: Adoring Angel". Cincinnati Art Museum. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.