Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick (El Paso, Texas) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Patrick Cathedral

Location in Texas
31°45′57″N 106°29′34″W / 31.7658°N 106.4929°W / 31.7658; -106.4929
Location	1118 N. Mesa St. El Paso, Texas
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Cathedral
Dedication	St. Patrick
Dedicated	November 29, 1917
Architecture
Architect(s)	Barnett, Haynes & Barnett
Style	Romanesque Revival
Groundbreaking	1914
Completed	1917
Specifications
Materials	Brick
Administration
Diocese	El Paso

St. Patrick Cathedral is a very important church in El Paso, Texas. It is the main church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso. This means it is where the bishop of the diocese has his special chair, called a cathedra. The cathedral is located at 1118 N. Mesa Street, just north of the city's downtown area.

This church is like the "mother church" for about 668,000 Catholics in the diocese. The cathedral also helps run two schools in El Paso: Cathedral High School and St. Patrick Elementary School. These schools are right next to the church.

History of St. Patrick Cathedral
- How the Cathedral Got Its Name
- Building and Design Details
Saint Peter of Jesus Maldonado and the Cathedral
- Peter of Jesus Maldonado's Story
Photo Gallery I - The Windows
Photo Gallery II - Other Points of Interest
See also

History of St. Patrick Cathedral

The design for St. Patrick Cathedral was created by a company called Barnett, Haynes & Barnett. They were architects from St Louis, Missouri. The church was built to look like a basilica, which is a type of large, long building. Its style mixes Byzantine and Italian Renaissance ideas.

How the Cathedral Got Its Name

When people were raising money to build the cathedral, they offered a special chance. The first group to collect $10,000 for the project could choose the name for the new church. A group of Irish Catholic women met this challenge! They decided to name it after Saint Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. At that time, many Irish miners worked in the El Paso area.

Building and Design Details

Construction on the cathedral began on April 8, 1914. The church and its special first stone, called the cornerstone, were blessed in a ceremony on November 12, 1916. The inside of the cathedral is very beautiful. It has tall Roman columns and amazing frescoes. Frescoes are paintings done on wet plaster, and these show scenes from the Bible.

The walls also have carvings called bas-relief that show the Stations of the Cross. These are images that tell the story of Jesus's last day. The main altar is very grand. It has a 2.5-meter-tall statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Above the altar, there is a large canopy with a golden eagle on top. The church can seat about 800 people for Mass. Along the walls, there are special areas called alcoves. Here you can find a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a life-size sculpture of St. Patrick.

The beautiful stained-glass windows were made by the Emil Frei Art Glass Company in St. Louis, Missouri. These windows show different moments from the life of Jesus and the history of the Church.

Saint Peter of Jesus Maldonado and the Cathedral

St Peter of Jesus Maldonado.

During the early 1900s, there were some difficult times for the Catholic Church in Mexico. Laws from the Mexican Constitution of 1917 and the Mexican Revolution made it hard for the Church to operate freely. Things like freedom of worship were limited for bishops, priests, and regular church members.

Because of these challenges, many young men who wanted to become priests in Mexico could not study there. So, they often went to other countries, especially the United States. Cities near the U.S.-Mexico border, like El Paso, were popular places for them to study.

Peter of Jesus Maldonado's Story

One of these young men was Peter of Jesus Maldonado. He studied in El Paso and was ordained as a priest in St. Patrick Cathedral on January 25, 1918. After becoming a priest, Padre Maldonado went back to his home state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

Sadly, in 1937, he was badly hurt by local authorities in a town called Santa Isabel. This happened because he was preaching the Gospel and teaching the catechism (religious lessons) to the people there. He later died from his injuries.

Padre Maldonado was buried in the Cathedral of Chihuahua. Many years later, on May 21, 2000, Pope John Paul II declared him a saint. He is now known as one of the companions of St Christopher Magallanes. There is a special memorial inside St. Patrick Cathedral that remembers the day he became a priest there.

Photo Gallery I - The Windows

The Annunciation and The Immaculate Conception.
Cana and The Death of St. Joseph
The Sacred Heart and The Coronation of Our Lady
The Presentation of Jesus and The Nativity
The Sea of Galilee and The Baptism of Our Lord
Jesus and the Children and The Anointing by Mary
The Garden of Gethsemene and The Last Supper
The Empty Tomb and The Crucifixion
Pentecost and The Ascension
The Great Commission
Pontifical Window with the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XV during whose reign the cathedral was dedicated