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St. Joseph's Cathedral
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	307 NW 4th St. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Coordinates	35°28′20″N 97°31′5″W / 35.47222°N 97.51806°W / 35.47222; -97.51806
Built	1901-1902
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	78002253
Added to NRHP	January 30, 1978

St. Joseph Old Cathedral is a parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It was the seat of the 'Diocese of Oklahoma City-Tulsa' from 1905 to 1931; and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The cathedral was severely damaged during the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

History

The Rev. Nicolas F. Scallon arrived in Oklahoma City on April 22, 1889. He was the first priest to serve in the recently formed town. He located other Catholic settlers and looked for a place to celebrate Mass. For the most part in those early days Mass was celebrated in a tent that normally functioned as McGinley's General Store. Less than two weeks later three lots were purchased for $225. Construction on a church building that measured 24 by 40 feet was begun on July 1, 1889, and was completed a month later. A 650-pound bell was purchased for $101 and the first Mass was celebrated in St. Joseph's Church on August 4.

By the turn of the 20th century the congregation began to outgrow its wood-frame building and plans were made for a larger church. Work began on October 19, 1901, and it was finished the following year. It was dedicated by Bishop Theophile Meerschaert of the Vicariate Apostolic of Indian Territory on December 18, 1904. The church was constructed of Coffeyville brick in the Gothic Revival style. It features a central tower with a spire that is flanked by two shorter towers that are crenellated at the top. The building measures 137 by 64 feet.

The year after the church was dedicated St. Pius X established the Diocese of Oklahoma City on August 23, 1905. St. Joseph's became the first cathedral in Oklahoma. It served the diocese as its cathedral until 1931 when Pope Pius XI named Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church as the diocesan cathedral. St. Joseph continued to serve the downtown area as a parish church.

St. Joseph's Old Cathedral was extensively damaged when a bomb exploded at the nearby Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. Most of the stained glass windows on the east side of the church were shattered, and the pipe organ was extensively damaged. The explosion raised the roof several inches off its steel pillars and several of the rafters were broken. Plaster fell from the walls and ceiling and the painted, symbolic plaster medallions were destroyed. The church was closed for nearly two years. A statue carved from Italian marble entitled And Jesus Wept was created to commemorate the event and is adjacent to the Oklahoma City National Memorial. It was dedicated in May 1997 and the church was rededicated on December 1 of the same year.

An interfaith prayer service was held in St. Joseph's on September 12, 2001, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran said during the service, "This building was rebuilt as a sign of faith and remembrance of those people who were killed at the site of the Murrah Bombing. We gather here today to mourn the loss of our brothers and sisters in New York City and in Washington, D.C."

See also

• List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
• List of cathedrals in the United States

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "St. Joseph Old Cathedral, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA". www.gcatholic.org. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
3. ^ Skvorc, Krystyna. "About Us". St. Joseph Old Cathedral. Archived from the original on 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
4. "Archdiocese of Oklahoma City". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
5. "Our History". Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Archived from the original on 2011-10-09. Retrieved 2011-10-09.

External links

• St. Joseph Old Cathedral Web Site

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Ordinaries	Prefects of Indian territory Isidore Robot Ignatius Jean Bishops Theophile Meerschaert Francis Kelley Eugene J. McGuinness Victor Joseph Reed Archbishops John R. Quinn Charles Salatka Eusebius J. Beltran Paul Stagg Coakley
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parishes St. Joseph Old Cathedral Abbey St. Gregory's Abbey
Education	Higher education St. Gregory's University High schools Bishop McGuinness High School Mount St. Mary High School Cristo Rey High School
Priests	Raised to the episcopate Stephen Aloysius Leven John Joseph Sullivan Anthony Taylor Edward Weisenburger Beatified Stanley Rother
Miscellany	Sooner Catholic
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v t e National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
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See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma and List of National Historic Landmarks in Oklahoma

• Buildings and structures damaged in the Oklahoma City bombing
• Churches in Oklahoma City
• Former cathedrals in the United States
• Gothic Revival church buildings in Oklahoma
• Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma
• Roman Catholic churches completed in 1902
• Christian organizations established in 1889
• Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
• Roman Catholic cathedrals in Oklahoma
• 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
• 1889 establishments in Indian Territory