Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Oklahoma City) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral ofOur Lady of Perpetual Help |
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| 35°30′10″N 97°31′51″W / 35.5027°N 97.5308°W | |
| Location | 3214 N. Lake Ave. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | cathedralokc.org |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Italianate |
| Groundbreaking | July 3, 1923 |
| Completed | February 1924 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | One |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Archdiocese of Oklahoma City |
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a large Catholic church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It is the main church for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. This means it is where the Archbishop, who leads the Catholic community in this area, has his special seat.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
Starting the Parish
The church community, called a parish, for Our Lady of Perpetual Help began in 1919. Bishop Theophile Meerschaert, who was the first Bishop of Oklahoma City, chose Monsignor Monnot to be its first leader. This happened on January 19, 1919.
At first, church services were held in a car showroom on Classen Boulevard. Soon after, in May 1919, the first church building was built. It was a wooden structure located on NW 31st Street. The very next month, the parish started building a new place that would be both a church and a school.
Building the Cathedral
Construction on the current church building began on July 3, 1923. It was finished quite quickly, by February 1924. A house for the priests, called a rectory, was also completed in July of that same year.
In 1931, Pope Pius XI gave Our Lady of Perpetual Help a special honor. He made it a cathedral. This meant it became the main church for the diocese, taking the place of St. Joseph Cathedral downtown.
Growing Community
In 1975, about 30 Vietnamese families joined the church. They were refugees from the Vietnam War. Since then, the number of Vietnamese families in the parish has continued to grow.
In 1993, the church went through a big renovation project. This included adding a new pipe organ built by W. Zimmer and Sons. They also added a new baptistery, which is a special area for baptisms. Other electrical and building improvements were made at this time.
Parochial School
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School opened its doors in September 1919. It started with 90 students across twelve grades. Three Sisters of Mercy, who are religious sisters, taught at the school. They lived in a house across the street.
In 1932, the school's name was changed to honor Bishop John Carroll. He was the first Catholic Bishop in the United States. The parish added a new part to the school building in 1939. A new convent, where the sisters lived, was built in 1941. The old convent is now called Mercy Center. It is used for many different church activities. As part of the 1993 renovation, the parish also built a new gymnasium and more classrooms for the school.
See also
