Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Mobile, Alabama) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral Basilica of theImmaculate Conception |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 30°41′24″N 88°02′45″W / 30.69000°N 88.04583°W | |
| Location | 2 South Claiborne Street Mobile, Alabama |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1703 |
| Founder(s) | Most Rev. Michael Portier |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Claude Beroujon |
| Style | Greek Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1835 |
| Completed | 1850 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | Two |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Mobile |
The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is a beautiful and historic cathedral in Mobile, Alabama. It serves as the main church for Roman Catholics in the area. This special building is the home church for the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. The cathedral is named after Mary, mother of Jesus, specifically honoring her under the title of the Immaculate Conception. It is also recognized as an important historical site on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of Mobile's Cathedral
The story of Mobile's Cathedral Parish began a long time ago, on July 20, 1703. It was started by Bishop de Saint-Vallier from Quebec. He named Father Roulleaux de La Vente as the first leader of the church. This first church was located at the French settlement of Mobile, inside Fort Louis de la Louisiane. This makes it the very first parish established along the Gulf Coast.
When the Mobile settlement moved to its current spot in 1711, a new church was built. It was called Notre Dame de la Mobile, which means "Our Lady of Mobile." Later, in 1781, when the Spanish were in charge of Mobile, the parish got its current name, Immaculate Conception.
In 1829, Mobile became a diocese, which is a larger church area. A Frenchman named Michael Portier became its first bishop. His first "cathedral" was a small wooden building. Bishop Portier soon decided to build a much grander, "real" cathedral.
Building the Cathedral
The design for the cathedral was created in 1833 by Claude Beroujon, an architect who used to be a seminarian. The building was planned in a Roman basilica style. Construction started in 1835. However, a financial crisis called the Panic of 1837 caused money problems and slowed down the building process.
Even with delays, the cathedral was ready for public worship in 1850. Bishop Portier officially opened it, even though Beroujon's full design wasn't finished yet. The front porch, called a portico, and the two towers were added later.
The impressive classical portico has eight huge columns in the Roman Doric order. It was added in the 1870s under Bishop John Quinlan. The two towers were finally finished in 1884, when Bishop Jeremiah O'Sullivan was in charge.
Location and Size
The Cathedral Basilica is located on South Claiborne Street in downtown Mobile. It faces east, looking towards the Mobile River and Cathedral Square.
The building is quite large. It is about 164 feet (50 meters) long and 90 feet (27 meters) wide. The highest part of the ceiling is 60 feet (18 meters) tall. Its two twin towers reach up to 103 feet (31 meters) high.
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
One of the most amazing parts of the cathedral is its stained glass windows. These beautiful windows were made in Munich, Germany, by a company called Franz Mayer & Co.. They started installing them in 1890, and the last window was put in place in 1910.
There are twelve main windows, six on the south wall and six on the north wall. Each of these is about 8 feet (2.4 meters) wide and 23 feet (7 meters) tall. Every window shows an important event in the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. For example, some windows show the Immaculate Conception, the Annunciation, and the Nativity of Jesus. Others show the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
Two larger windows are found at the front of the church, one under each tower. The window under the north tower shows the Baptism of Jesus. The window under the south tower shows St. Cecilia, who is the patron saint of musicians.
Smaller stained glass windows are also in the eight doors of the foyer, right inside the main entrance. These windows show different saints and religious symbols, like St. Augustine and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Above the four middle doors, there is a window showing the Holy Spirit.
Damage and Repairs
Over the years, the cathedral has faced several challenges, including an explosion, a fire, an airplane hitting it, and hurricanes.
On May 25, 1865, a large Union Army ammunition depot exploded in Mobile. This explosion killed about 300 people and burned much of the city. The force of the blast blew in the windows and their frames on the north side of the cathedral. Luckily, no one was inside the church at the time.
During World War II, a pilot who was still training flew too low and accidentally clipped one of the towers, causing some damage.
A big disaster happened on March 19, 1954, when a fire broke out inside the church. A homeless man seeking shelter caused the fire, which badly damaged the sanctuary area. The main structure of the church was still standing, but the inside suffered a lot of damage from the fire, smoke, and water used by firefighters.
After the 1954 fire, Bishop Thomas Joseph Toolen sent the damaged stained glass windows back to the Franz Meyer workshops in Munich for repair. The skilled workers there used the original drawings to help them restore the windows. Bishop Toolen also replaced the fire-damaged cathedra (the bishop's chair) and pulpit with new ones made of mahogany wood. A new organ was installed and is still used today. At this time, a large bronze baldachin (a canopy over the altar) supported by four marble columns was added.
In the 1970s, Bishop John L. May made some changes to the sanctuary to follow new church guidelines. The altar was moved closer to the people, and the altar rails were removed. The bishop's chair was moved to a new spot facing the congregation. Bishop May also added a bronze statue of the Risen Christ above the baldachin and a large crucifix over the tabernacle.
Archbishop Oscar Hugh Lipscomb led the most recent major restoration work in the 2000s. Under his guidance, the cast-iron fence outside was fixed, and the cathedral's exterior was cleaned and repaired. The inside of the church got a complete makeover. A special coffer ceiling (a ceiling with sunken panels) was added above the main aisle. These panels are decorated with alternating gold-leafed fleur-de-lis (a French symbol) and shamrock (an Irish symbol). These designs represent the Trinity and honor the contributions of French and Irish religious people to the Archdiocese. New lighting and a fresh color scheme made the interior brighter. White marble flooring was installed in the aisles, and the wooden floors under the pews were refinished. The coats-of-arms of Mobile's bishops and archbishops were placed in the marble floor of the main aisle. A beautiful mural of the Tree of Jesse was painted above the pipe organ.
After the restoration was finished, Archbishop Lipscomb traveled to Rome. There, on December 3, 2004, he showed Pope John Paul II a photograph of the newly restored cathedral.
Basilica Designation
In 1962, Pope John XXIII gave the cathedral a special title: a minor basilica. This title is only given by the pope to churches that are very important historically and spiritually. A basilica gets its own special coat-of-arms. Other signs that it's a basilica include Pope John XXIII's personal coat-of-arms above the entrance, and a yellow and red umbracullum (a type of umbrella) and tintinnabulum (a bell) inside the sanctuary.
Gallery
A gallery of photographs taken October 23, 1936, for the Historic American Buildings Survey. Note the interior as it looked before the fire of 1954.
-
East elevation (front) portico and towers.
-
South side and tower looking slightly northeast
-
View of the west end of the nave from the organ balcony showing sanctuary and apse.
-
East end of nave showing organ and choir balcony and entrance.
-
Section of foundation wall under line of columns above nave.
-
Interior column caps and barrel vault ceiling over the south aisle.
-
Cast iron gates and fence on east front.
-
Detail of portico ceiling and columns, north end or portico.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción (Mobile) para niños
