Cathedral of Saint Peter (Kansas City, Kansas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of St. Peter |
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Cathedral viewed from the south
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 Location in Kansas
Location in the United States
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| 39°06′37″N 94°38′42″W / 39.1102°N 94.6451°W | |
| Location | 409 N. 15th St. Kansas City, Kansas |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral/Parish |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Dedication | St. Peter the Apostle |
| Dedicated | September 5, 1927 |
| Consecrated | 1948 (as a cathedral) |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1925 |
| Completed | 1927 |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 145 feet (44 m) |
| Number of spires | Three |
| Materials | Carthage stone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Kansas City in Kansas |
The Cathedral of Saint Peter is a special church in Kansas City, Kansas, United States. It is a Roman Catholic cathedral. This means it is the main church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
Contents
The Cathedral's Story
The story of St. Peter's began on October 7, 1907. A priest named Rev. Bernard Kelly was asked to start a new church community. The first church service was held on December 8, 1907. About 126 people attended this first service.
People started raising money to build a church and a school together. The first stone for this new building was placed on March 14, 1908. The building was officially opened on September 7 of the same year. A house for the priests, called a rectory, was built between 1916 and 1917.
Work on the current church building started in 1925. The first church service in this new building was on August 1, 1927. It was officially opened on September 5, 1927.
Becoming a Cathedral
On May 10, 1947, an important change happened. The main church city was moved from Leavenworth, Kansas to Kansas City. This was decided by Pope Pius XII, the leader of the Catholic Church.
In 1948, Bishop George Joseph Donnelly made St. Peter's an official cathedral. To mark this, twelve gold crosses were placed inside the church. These crosses represent the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. A special chair for the Bishop was also placed in the church.
Recent Updates
A new parish center was built in 1992. The inside of the cathedral was updated in 1998. From October 2006 to October 2007, the church celebrated its 100th birthday. A statue of St. Joseph the Worker was placed in the courtyard. A time capsule was buried nearby. It will be opened in 2057.
St. Peter's School History
St. Peter's School opened in the fall of 1908. It had 95 elementary students and 10 high school students. The first building, which was both a church and a school, soon became too small. A new school building was built in 1912. By 1937, the school had 430 students.
Sadly, a fire destroyed the school building in 1943. A new and larger building was opened on October 23, 1955. Over time, many families moved away from the city. This caused the number of students at the school to go down. In 2006, only 110 students were at St. Peter's.
In 2007, the archdiocese combined several schools in the area. They formed Resurrection Catholic School. This new school used the St. Peter's School building.
Leaders of the Cathedral
Many priests have led St. Peter's church. Since 1947, they have also been the Cathedral Rector. This means they are in charge of the main cathedral. Here is a list of some of the leaders:
- Rev. Bernard S. Kelly, 1907–1909
- Rev. Bernard Mohan, 1909
- Msgr. Patrick McInerney, 1909–1911
- Msgr. Francis M. Orr, 1911–1937
- Msgr. James P. McKenna, 1938–1966
- Very Rev. Leo T. Lutz, 1966–1967
- Msgr. J. Kenneth Spurlock, 1967–1983
- Very Rev. Thomas Tank, 1983–1986
- Msgr. Henry Gardner, 1986–1991
- Msgr. William Curtin, 1991–1996
- Msgr. Thomas Tank, 1996–2003
- Msgr. Gary Applegate, 2003–2005
- Msgr. Robert Bergman, 2005 - 2009
- Very Rev. Harold Schneider, 2009 – 2019
- Very Rev. Oswaldo Sandoval, 2019 - 2020
- Very Rev. Anthony J. Saiki, 2020–Present
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Pedro (Kansas City) para niños
