Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | 18th St. and the Ben Franklink Pkwy., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1846 |
| Architect: | LeBrun,Napoleon; Brumidi,Constantino |
| Architectural style(s): | Mid 19th Century Revival, Other |
| Added to NRHP: | June 24, 1971 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 71000720 |
| Governing body: | Private |
The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, head church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the location of the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Administrative Offices, is located at 18th Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on the east side of Logan Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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[edit] Architecture
With its majestic façade, vaulted dome, ornate main altar, eight side chapels and main sanctuary that comfortably holds 2,000 worshipers, the Cathedral-Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is the largest brownstone structure and one of the most architecturally eminent structures in the city of Philadelphia. Erected in 1864, the cathedral, presented in a Roman-Corinthian style of architecture, is modeled after the Lombard Church of St. Charles (San Carlo al Corso) in Rome. Its Palladian façade and aqua oxidized-copper dome are in the Italian Renaissance manner, and the interior is spacious with an oversize apse of stained glass and red antique marble in magnificent proportions reminiscent of Roman churches. It was largely decorated by Constantino Brumidi, who also painted the dome of the Capitol in Washington. A civory over the main altar and the three altars on each of the side aisles point up this Italian Renaissance flavor. Also in the bowels of the building, is the compact 'Crypt of the Bishops'.
[edit] Construction
On the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul, June 29, 1846, Bishop Kenrick, then Archbishop of Philadelphia, issued a pastoral letter announcing his determination to build a cathedral. It was the bishop's intention to avoid running into debt, so the cathedral was long in building. He chose for the site a plot of ground adjoining the seminary at Eighteenth and Race Streets. Construction on the cathedral began shortly thereafter but was not completed until 1864. This was less than 2 years after the Philadelphia Nativist Riots. These riots represented the height of Anti-Catholicism and Know-Nothingism in Philadelphia and, according to local lore, greatly influenced the design of the building. The Cathedral was built with only very high clerestory windows, according to parish histories, to inhibit vandalism.
[edit] The Burial Crypt
Under the main altar of the Cathedral is a crypt with the remains of most of the Bishops and Archbishops, and of several other clergymen, of Philadelphia. The crypt can be reached by stairs behind the main altar. The crypt is the final resting place of:
[edit] Ordinaries of Philadelphia
- Bishop Michael Egan, O.S.F., first Bishop of Philadelphia, died 1814.
- Bishop Henry Conwell, second Bishop of Philadelphia, died 1842.
- Bishop Francis Kenrick, third Bishop of Philadelphia, died 1851.
- Archbishop James Frederick Wood, fifth Bishop and first Archbishop of Philadelphia, died 1882.
- Archbishop Patrick John Ryan, sixth Bishop and second Archbishop of Philadelphia, died 1911.
- Archbishop Edmond Francis Prendergast, seventh Bishop and third Archbishop of Philadelphia, died 1918.
- Dennis Joseph Cardinal Dougherty, eighth Bishop and fourth Archbishop of Philadelphia, died 1951.
- John Cardinal Krol, tenth Bishop and sixth Archbishop of Philadelphia, died 1996.
[edit] Other Burials
- Rev. Francis Patrick O'Neill, died 1882.
- Rev. Maurice Walsh, died 1888.
- Rev. James Corcoran, died 1889.
- Bishop Ames J. Carroll, died 1913.
- Rev. Francis I. Clark, died 1918.
- Bishop D. Cletus Benjamin, died 1961.
- Archbishop Gerald P. O'Hara, died 1963.
- Francis Cardinal Brennan, the first American to receive an appointment to the Roman Curia, died 1968.
- Archbishop Gerald V. McDevitt, died in 1980.
[edit] Trivia
- The Basilica was designed by John Notman and Napoleon Eugene Henry Charles Le Brun. Le Brun was a native Philadelphian born to French Catholic parents. Other notable buildings he designed include the Home Insurance Building in New York City and the Philadelphia Academy of Music. He also designed a myriad of churches throughout Philadelphia, including St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Twentieth Street (1841); the Seventh Presbyterian Church (1842); the Scot's Presbyterian Church (1843); the Catholic Church of St. Peter the Apostle (German), Fifth Street (1843); and the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Holy Nativity (1844), no longer standing. John Notman is most noted for his Philadelphia ecclesiastical architecture for the Protestant Episcopal Church, including St. Mark's Church, Locust Street (1850); St. Clement's Church, Twentieth Street (1857); and the Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square.
- It is the largest Catholic church in Pennsylvania.
- Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass here when he visited Philadelphia in 1979. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- In order to protect the windows of the Cathedral Basilica from possible future riots, the builders would throw stones into the air to determine the height of where the windows would be placed.
[edit] See also
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- List of basilicas
- List of cathedrals in the United States
- List of National Register of Historic Places entries
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Philadelphia Archdiocese website
- PBS: Holy Philadelphia
- USHistory.org
- Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center
- Napoleon LeBrun architect's biography
- Catholic Encyclopedia
- WherePhiladelphia.com
[edit] References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
