Cathedral Church of St. John (Albuquerque, New Mexico) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral Church of St. John |
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The cathedral in July, 2012
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 Location in New Mexico
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| 35°04′56.2″N 106°39′6.54″W / 35.082278°N 106.6518167°W | |
| Location | 318 Silver Avenue SW Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Episcopal Church in the United States of America |
| History | |
| Founded | 1882 |
| Dedicated | November 11, 1952 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | John Gaw Meem |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1951 |
| Completed | 1952 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Rio Grande |
The Cathedral Church of St. John is an Episcopal cathedral located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. It is the main church for the Diocese of the Rio Grande. In 2018, this cathedral church was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which lists important historical sites.
Contents
History of St. John's Cathedral
Early Beginnings in 1882
St. John's Church was started in 1882. Land was bought for $5,000 at the corner of Fourth Street and Silver Avenue. The first church building was built there in the same year. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style. This means it looked like old European churches with pointed arches and tall windows.
The building was made from red Arizona sandstone and brick. It also had a bell tower at one corner. The very first church service was held in November 1882. Bishop George Kelly Dunlop led the service, and 33 people attended.
Becoming a Cathedral
The leaders of St. John's Church, called the Vestry, decided in 1920 that St. John's should become a cathedral. A cathedral is the main church of a diocese, which is a church district. This idea was approved for a one-year trial. Three years later, in 1923, new rules were made, and St. John's officially became the cathedral for the Missionary District of New Mexico and Southwest Texas.
Building the New Cathedral
Henry R.A. O’Malley became the dean of the cathedral. He helped raise $25,000 to build the Cathedral House. This building was meant to hold offices for the church and the Missionary District.
The famous architect John Gaw Meem from Santa Fe designed the Cathedral House. Its first stone was placed on Easter Sunday in 1930. Later, in 1950, Meem was asked to design a brand new cathedral building. This new building would replace the old church.
Meem's design kept the front and side entrances and the bell tower from the old church. But he added a much larger main area, called the nave. This new part was built in a modern Gothic style, using brick and stone that was reused from other places.
Construction for the new cathedral began the day after Easter in 1951. The first services in the new building were held on October 5, 1952. The cathedral was officially dedicated on November 11, 1952.
Recent Events
In October 2021, a woman named Anne Tropeano was ordained here. She is from New Mexico and is known as "Father Anne". Her ordination was part of a movement called the woman priest movement. The official Roman Catholic Church does not support this movement.
See also
