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's like the "home base" for many Catholic churches in the area. The cathedral is located at 1118 N. Mesa Street, just north of downtown El Paso. It serves a large community of Catholics in the region. The church also runs Cathedral High School and St. Patrick Elementary School right next to it.

Building History
Saint Peter of Jesus Maldonado
Photo Gallery: The Windows
Photo Gallery: Other Interesting Sights
See also

Building History

The design for St. Patrick Cathedral was created by a company called Barnett, Haynes & Barnett from St. Louis, Missouri. The church was built in a style called Romanesque Revival. This style looks a bit like old Roman and Byzantine buildings.

To help pay for the church, the diocese (the church's local area) offered a special deal. The first group to raise $10,000 could choose the name for the new cathedral. A group of Irish Catholic women met this challenge! They chose St. Patrick as the church's patron saint. At that time, many Irish miners lived in El Paso, making it a big mining center.

Construction began on April 8, 1914. The church and its cornerstone were blessed on November 12, 1916. The cathedral was officially dedicated on November 29, 1917.

Inside the cathedral, you'll see many beautiful features:

Tall Roman columns.
Detailed paintings called frescoes that show scenes from the Bible.
Carvings of the Stations of the Cross on the walls.
A high altar with a large statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This statue is about 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall!
A big canopy over the altar, topped with a golden eagle.
The church can seat about 800 people for Mass.
There are special areas along the walls with a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a life-size sculpture of St. Patrick.
The colorful stained-glass windows show different moments from the life of Jesus and the Church.

Saint Peter of Jesus Maldonado

St Peter of Jesus Maldonado.

Around the time St. Patrick Cathedral was built, there were strict laws in Mexico. These laws, from the Mexican Constitution of 1917 and the Mexican Revolution, made it very hard for the Catholic Church to operate. People who wanted to become priests often couldn't study in Mexico. So, many went to other countries, especially cities near the U.S.-Mexico border like El Paso.

El Paso became a popular place for these students. Many young men from northern Mexico came to study here and became priests. One of them was Peter of Jesus Maldonado. He was ordained (became a priest) in St. Patrick Cathedral on January 25, 1918.

Padre Maldonado later returned to his home in Chihuahua, Mexico. Sadly, he was beaten to death in 1937 by local officials. This happened because he was preaching the Gospel and teaching the catechism (religious lessons) to people. He was buried in the Cathedral of Chihuahua.

Years later, in 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 his ordination there.

Photo Gallery: 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