Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond
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Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is the cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, located in the Fan district of Richmond, Virginia. Dedicated in 1906, its construction was funded by the wealthy New York businessman, Thomas Fortune Ryan, a native of Virginia. It is the only cathedral in the world built with the contribution of just one person.
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[edit] Architecture
Designed by New York architect Joseph H. McGuire, the Cathedral is considered to be Virginia's finest ecclesiastical example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style. The building is constructed of Virginia granite and Indiana limestone with a copper dome and tile roof. Six fluted Corinthian columns support the architrave on the front of the exterior, which displays the motto "If Ye Love Me Keep My Commandments" (John 14:15). The outline of the coat of arms of the Diocese of Richmond appears above the name of the church to the left of the columns.
[edit] First Cathedral
Richmond was a small town of only 16,000 when its first Catholic Cathedral, St. Peter's, 800 E. Grace Street, was built in 1834. After the Civil War, Bishop John McGill realized that the growing Catholic population would need a new house of worship. In 1867, he purchased a lot in what was then considered the far west end. Lack of funds prevented further action until 1884 when Bishop John J. Keane purchased the remainder of the present block. With the announcement of a gift of $500,000 for the proposed cathedral from Thomas Fortune Ryan and his wife, Ida Barry Ryan, plans for the building were drawn up.
[edit] Dedication
On June 4, 1903, Archbishop Diomede Falconio, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, officiated at the laying of the cornerstone, which came from the Garden of Gethsemane. Three years later, thousands of people filled the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for the Dedication on Thanksgiving Day, November 29, 1906. The consecration ceremony was a milestone in both Richmond's history and the history of the Catholic Church in Virginia. The event was reported nationally, and the local newspaper devoted two special sections on the religious, architectural, and civic importance of the Cathedral.
