Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 Background on Sacred Heart's Archdiocese
2 The evolution of Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral
3 Construction of the new Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral
4 See Also
5 External Links

[edit] Background on Sacred Heart's Archdiocese

In 1847, Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Galveston for the 20,000 Catholics who lived in a frontier land known as Texas. This new diocese covered an area as large as France and was served by one bishop and fewer than twenty missionary priests. A church was built in Galveston and in 1848 it was dedicated as St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica. St. Mary's was the first catholic Cathedral in the state of Texas and for over 100 years it as the only cathedral in the Diocese of Galveston.

Due to the tremendous growth in the City of Houston, in 1959 the Most Reverend Wendelin J. Nold, fifth bishop of the Galveston Diocese, was permitted by Rome to erect a Cathedral of convenience in Houston and Sacred Heart Church, built in 1911, was named Co-Cathedral. This did not change the status of the City of Galveston as a Episcopal city, however it did permit full Episcopal ceremonies to be held in Houston, as well as Galveston. Both Cathedral's are coequal in rank, however since St. Mary's is the original Cathedral for the State of Texas, it has the distinction of being the Mother Cathedral for all the Catholic Dioceses in Texas.

Today the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is home to over one million Catholics and its frontiers now lie in the areas of medicine, technology, energy, space travel, and the arts.

[edit] The evolution of Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral

In the early 2000s the Archdiocese had long outgrown its Houston co-cathedral. Since the building had originally been constructed as a parish church, its size had been increased over the years through various remodelings and additions. Rather than make more expensive additions, it was decided by the Archdiocese to construct a new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

In January of 2005 a groundbreaking for the new co-cathedral was held and construction began shortly afterwards. The new Sacred Heart will serve the archdiocese as both an ecclesiastical and civic center.

[edit] Construction of the new Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral

Designed by Ziegler Cooper Architects , The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is steeped in both history and faith. To begin the design process, the design team immersed themselves in the rich history and architecture of cathedrals by traveling to Europe to visit scores of cathedrals. Three essential design qualities emerged from this study and lie at the heart of the new cathedral. 1) Transcendence - the wonder, power, and awe of God which is experienced in one's first step into the cathedral. 2) Verticality - the cathedral literally soars to heaven as a prayer in stone praising the omnipotence of God. 3) Natural light - expressing peace, serenity, and spiritual joy.

Sited in Downtown Houston in the middle of three blocks owned by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the co-cathedral is bounded by St. Joseph's Parkway, Fannin, Jefferson, and San Jacinto. The master plan for the three-block property provides for the creation of a grand, landscaped plaza which will anchor the site and dramatically enhance the entrance to the cathedral itself.

The building footprint is 27,800 s.f. sitting on the building area of 37,000 s.f.. The co-cathedral will seat 1,820, with room for an additional 200 temporary chairs.

The dome height is 117 ft, with the interior nave at 72 ft. The campanile is 140 ft. high.

Building materials include limestone and marble-clad walls and a metal dome roof. Stained glass commissioned for the co-cathedral and designed by Italian artisans are visible throughout the building. Other details include glass & metal detailing and natural wood accent panels.

The co-cathedral's spaces consist of a main worship space, choir loft, and campanile. Support spaces include the narthex, sacristies, and an organ room, among others.

Ziegler Cooper Architects is the designer and architect for the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Linbeck Construction Corporation is the general contractor.

The champion of this new co-cathedral is The Most Reverend Joseph A. Fiorenza, now Archbishop Emeritus of the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese. In his letter to the archdiocese in the publication, "A Great Cathedral For A Great City", he stated, "We stand today on the threshold of a tremendous era of growth and opportunity for our diocese...we will build the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in the center of Houston, a great modern city. Tis glorious cathedral will stand as a powerful symbol of the transcendence of God, and as an affirmationof the existence and importance of faith in a secular and disbelieving world. The Cathedral will serve as a soul and conscience of the city, reminding us of the importance of the spiritual amind the bustle of the commercial and corporate worlds - of the fact that God exists and faith matters."

Although a new Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral is being constructed, it does not affect the status of St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston. Both Cathedrals will continue to serve the needs of the citizens of the archdiocese.