Cathedral of Saint Joseph (Burlington, Vermont) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cathedral of Saint Joseph

44°29′00″N 73°12′53″W / 44.483200°N 73.214595°W / 44.483200; -73.214595
Location	20 Allen St. Burlington, Vermont
Country	United States
Denomination	Catholic Church
History
Status	Cathedral/Parish church
Founded	1850
Dedication	Saint Joseph
Dedicated	June 24, 1887
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Rev. Joseph Michaud
Style	Baroque Revival
Groundbreaking	July 4, 1884
Completed	1887
Specifications
Capacity	1,200
Length	176 feet (54 m)
Width	81 feet (25 m)
Height	55 feet (17 m)
Materials	Red sandstone
Administration
Diocese	Burlington

The Cathedral of Saint Joseph is a very important church in Burlington, Vermont, United States. It is the main church for the Catholic Diocese of Burlington. From 1999 to 2018, it was one of two main churches, called a co-cathedral. But after another church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, closed, Saint Joseph's became the only main cathedral church.

History of the Cathedral
Images for kids
See also

History of the Cathedral

Centennial plaque of Saint Joseph Parish

The first Catholic church in Burlington was built on land given by Col. Archibald Hyde. This church served both Irish and French Canadian immigrants. However, the French-speaking members felt like they were not treated as well as the Irish members.

So, in 1850, the French-speaking community started their own church, called St. Joseph's parish. This was the first French Canadian parish in the United States. They raised money and received more land to build a new church. This church was built for the many French-speaking Canadians who moved to Burlington in the mid-1800s.

Building the Current Church

The church building you see today was designed in 1883 by Rev. Joseph Michaud. He was an architect who taught himself, and he was from Montreal. He got his ideas from the Chapel of the Palace of Versailles in France.

The first stone for the new church was placed on July 4, 1884. It took four years to build the church. The people of the parish worked hard and gave money to help build it. The church was officially opened on June 24, 1887, which is a special day called St. Jean the Baptist Day. The Archbishop of Montreal, Édouard-Charles Fabre, blessed the church.

The church was built to hold over 1,200 people. It is still the largest church in Vermont. St. Joseph's has been updated several times, including in 1920, 1968, and 2000–2001. In 1999, it was named a co-cathedral for the Burlington diocese.

Becoming the Only Cathedral

By 2017, there were not many people attending services at the other Burlington cathedral, Immaculate Conception. Also, it was having money problems. So, the process began to combine the two Catholic cathedrals in Burlington.

Most Sunday Masses were held at St. Joseph's. Immaculate Conception only had a weekday Mass and a monthly Mass in Vietnamese. The ownership of the Immaculate Conception property was given to St. Joseph Parish.

In April 2018, Bishop Christopher Coyne announced that St. Joseph's would be the only main cathedral for the diocese. Later that year, the Immaculate Conception building was no longer used as a church. On October 11, 2018, the Diocese of Burlington said they would sell the Immaculate Conception property. The last Mass was held in Immaculate Conception Church on December 8, 2018.

Steeple Repairs

In November 2010, a strong storm damaged St. Joseph's steeple. The top part of the steeple had to be removed in April of the next year. Workers found that the steeple was very old and worn out. They also saw that the 800 lb (360 kg) iron cross on top was in danger of falling. The cross was put away for safekeeping.

The lower parts of the steeple, like the bell tower, needed repairs that cost about $200,000. It was going to cost about $1 million to make the steeple as tall as it was originally. The church could not afford this at first. But thanks to donations and the sale of the parish's school building in April 2018, they got the money they needed. The steeple was fully repaired in May 2019.