Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston

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Basic information
Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

Location	Houston, Texas,
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Province	Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Year consecrated	2008
Leadership	Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Cardinal: Daniel Nicholas DiNardo
Website	Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Ziegler Cooper Architects
Direction of facade	South
Year completed	2008
Specifications
Capacity	1,820
Width (nave)	72 ft
Height (max)	117 ft
Materials	limestone and marble-clad walls, Metal Roof

The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is a place of worship located in downtown Houston, Texas. The co-cathedral seats 1,820 people in its 32,000-square-foot sanctuary that serves more than 1.2 million Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. ^[1]^[2]

1 Background on Sacred Heart's Archdiocese
2 The evolution of Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral
- 2.1 Relics
3 Construction of the new Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral
4 See also
5 Footnotes
6 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 the new state of 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. 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. Because of its central location, Sacred Heart Church, which was built in 1911, was chosen to serve as co-cathedral. This did not change the status of the City of Galveston as an Episcopal see city, however it did permit full pontifical ceremonies to be held in Houston, as well as Galveston. Both cathedrals 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. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is home to over one million Catholics.

[edit] The evolution of Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral

In the early 2000s the Archdiocese had long outgrown the original Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, which was constructed in 1911. Since it had originally been constructed as a parish church, its size had been increased over the years through various renovations and additions. Rather than make more expensive additions, it was decided by the Archdiocese to construct a new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

Ziegler Cooper Architects, an established firm in the Houston area, was selected to design and, in the spring of 2002, design began for the new co-cathedral. ^[3] Working with the Galveston-Houston Diocese's Bishop Fiorenza, a model was constructed of the final design concept. Bishop Fiorenza himself hand-carried a picture of the co-cathedral model to the Vatican where he obtained the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II's, blessing. ^[4]

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. ^[5]

[edit] Relics

One of the last significant pieces of the True Cross has been given to add to the various other Relics that will be placed in the Reliquary beneath the Altar, along with Remains of nine saints, including Thérèse de Lisieux, Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Leo the Great, making it Holy Ground^[6]

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

Designed by Ziegler Cooper Architects with Linbeck Construction Corporation as general contractor, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is steeped in both history and faith.^[7] Two major shrines to Mary Immaculate, the patroness of the Archdiocese, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the patronal title of the Co-Cathedral and six additional shrines dedicated to popular saints are part of the co-cathedral's design. ^[8] 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. ^[9]^[10]

Transcendence - the wonder, power, and awe of God which is experienced in one's first step into the cathedral.
Verticality - the cathedral literally soars to heaven as a prayer in stone praising the omnipotence of God.
Natural light - expressing peace, serenity, and spiritual joy.

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

The Resurrection window

The building footprint is 27,800 square feet sitting on a building area of 37,000 square feet. The co-cathedral will seat 1,820, with room for an additional 200 temporary chairs.^[11] The co-cathedral's spaces consist of a main worship space, choir loft, and campanile. The dome height extends to 117 feet, with the interior nave height is 72 feet. The campanile is 140 feet 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 and metal detailing and natural wood accent panels. Support spaces include the narthex, sacristies, and an organ room, among others. One hundred and eight stained glass panels were installed in the new Co-Cathedral. The Clerestory windows were designed and constructed in Florence, Italy by Mellini Art Glass and Mosaics.^[12]

The champion of the 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. This glorious cathedral will stand as a powerful symbol of the transcendence of God, and as an affirmation of 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 amid the bustle of the commercial and corporate worlds - of the fact that God exists and faith matters."

The existence of the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral does not affect the status of St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston. Both the cathedral and co-cathedral will continue to serve the needs of the citizens of the archdiocese.

The first service was held on April 2, 2008. All of the Bishops in the United States were invited, as well as many Cardinals.