Basilica of St. Fidelis Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
St. Fidelis Catholic Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

View of the church from the northwest in 1997
Location	Victoria, Kansas, U.S.
Area	3 acres (1.2 ha)
Built	1908-1911
Architect	John T. Comès; Joseph Marshall
Architectural style	Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	71000315
Added to NRHP	May 14, 1971

The Basilica of St. Fidelis is a beautiful Catholic church in Victoria, Kansas, United States. People often call it the Cathedral of the Plains or Basilica of the Plains. It's famous for its amazing Romanesque architecture style.

Even though it's called the "Cathedral of the Plains," it's not officially a cathedral. A cathedral is the main church for a diocese. The official cathedral for the Diocese of Salina is in Salina. However, in 2014, the Vatican gave St. Fidelis the special title of a minor basilica. This is a big honor for a church!

Building the Cathedral of the Plains
A Famous Nickname and Beautiful Windows
Keeping the Church Beautiful
Becoming a Minor Basilica
The Capuchin Friars
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Building the Cathedral of the Plains

This impressive church was built between 1908 and 1911. The main architect was John T. Comès from Pittsburgh. Another architect, Joseph Marshall from Topeka, helped with changes and watched over the building process.

Building such a large church was a huge effort for the community. The church history says that every member aged 12 or older was asked to help. They each had to give $45 and bring six wagon loads of Fencepost limestone and four loads of sand every year. Some families brought as many as 70 to 80 wagonloads of stone! Imagine all that hard work!

A Famous Nickname and Beautiful Windows

The nickname The Cathedral of the Plains was given to the church by William Jennings Bryan. He was a famous politician who ran for president. He visited Victoria in 1912 and was very impressed by the church.

The church has 48 historic stained-glass windows. These beautiful windows were put in place in 1916. They were made by the Munich Studio of Chicago and cost $3,700 at the time. Today, these windows are worth more than $1 million! The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. This means it's an important historical building.

Keeping the Church Beautiful

Over the years, the church has had many updates to keep it in great shape. In 1994, the church started a big project to restore it. They spent over $265,000 to protect the outside from weather. They also fixed and repainted the inside. New sound, electrical, and heating systems were installed.

Part of the work included putting in a new marble floor in the sanctuary. This cost $60,000. Old carpets and linoleum floors in other areas were also replaced. In 2006, the church roof was re-shingled for $137,000.

The church has two tall towers that are 141 feet high. You can see them clearly from Interstate 70. This makes the basilica a major landmark in western Kansas.

In 2011, the church replaced its parking lot and sidewalks for $225,000. They also spent $70,000 to fix cracks in the plaster ceilings and walls. In 2013, new tempered glass coverings were put over the stained-glass windows. These new coverings will stay clear and protect the windows from Kansas storms.

Becoming a Minor Basilica

After getting approval from the Vatican in early March 2014, the church received a special honor. Bishop Edward Weisenburger of the Diocese of Salina officially dedicated St. Fidelis Church as a minor basilica. This special ceremony happened on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

The Capuchin Friars

Since the late 1800s, the Capuchin Order has been involved with the Catholic community in Ellis County, Kansas. The Capuchins are a special group of Franciscans. They have overseen St. Fidelis Catholic Church for many years.

Next to the church, there is a three-story building. This building is a Friary for the Capuchins. Today, it is home to retired and older Capuchin priests.