Blessed Sacrament Cathedral (Greensburg, Pennsylvania) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blessed Sacrament Cathedral |
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| 40°18′23″N 79°32′46″W / 40.3065°N 79.5462°W | |
| Location | 300 N. Main St. Greensburg, Pennsylvania |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral/Parish |
| Founded | 1789 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Comes, Perry and McMullen |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1928 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone Indiana Limestone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Greensburg |
The Blessed Sacrament Cathedral is a very important church in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It is the main church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg. Think of it as the "mother church" for all the Catholic churches in that area. In 1999, this beautiful building became part of the Academy Hill Historic District. This means it's recognized as a special historic place.
Contents
A Look Back: The Cathedral's Story
This cathedral is actually the third church built on this very spot. The church community, called a parish, started way back in 1789. Back then, they began building a simple log cabin to use as their church.
In 1846, that log cabin church was replaced by a stronger building made of brick. Around this time, a group of monks called the Order of Saint Benedict from Saint Vincent Archabbey started looking after the parish.
Building the Current Cathedral
The church you see today was built in a style called English Gothic architecture. It was designed by a famous architectural company from Pittsburgh named Comes, Perry and McMullen. The church was officially opened in May 1928.
It's made from strong materials like sandstone and Indiana limestone. The tall, square tower above the middle part of the church reaches about 125 feet (38 meters) high! The church looks very solid and grand, much like old churches you might see in Northern Europe. The amazing stained glass windows inside were made by a company in Munich, Germany.
Becoming a Cathedral
The church became the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral on March 10, 1951. This happened when the Diocese of Greensburg was created. At that point, the Benedictine monks handed over their duties of caring for the parish.
In 1971, the inside of the cathedral was updated. This was done to match new ways of worship that came from the Second Vatican Council. Later, in the 1980s, the building where the priests live, called the rectory, was also redesigned.
More recently, from 2010 to 2011, the inside of the cathedral was carefully restored. This big project involved many experts. Architects from Pittsburgh helped with the plans. Special artists from New York City created the designs. A construction company from Pittsburgh did the building work.
Images for kids
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Cathedral interior
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Presbyterium
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Rectory
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Aquinas Academy
See Also
In Spanish: Catedral del Santísimo Sacramento (Greensburg) para niños
