Cathedral of Saint Joseph of Wheeling

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Cathedral of Saint Joseph of Wheeling or Saint Joseph's Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. In addition to being the seat of the bishop, the cathedral is home to the oldest congregation in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia. [1]

[edit] History

The present building was dedicated by Bishop John Swint in April of 1926. The building is successor to the original cathedral, which was constructed in 1847. [2]

In 1973, the church was renovated in order to comply with the post-Vatican II Liturgy. In this renovation the altar was moved forward and various other changes were made. [3]

The building was designed by Edward Weber and is a stunning example of Neo-Romanesque architecture. It cost about $500,000 to build in 1926, which is approximately equivalent to $5,540,000 in 2006. [4]

Currently the pastor of the cathedral is the Most Reverand Michael Joseph Bransfield, Bishop of the Diocese, the Rector is the Very Reverend Kevin Quirk, and the Vice Rector is Reverend Father Dennis R. Schuelkens, Jr. [5]