Cathedral of St. Andrew (Little Rock, Arkansas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cathedral of Saint Andrew
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 Location in Arkansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | 617 Louisiana St. Little Rock, Arkansas |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1881 |
| Architect | Thomas Harding |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003117 |
| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1986 |
The Cathedral of Saint Andrew is a very important church in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the United States. It is the main church for the Roman Catholic community in the area. You can find it on South Louisiana Street in the city. This cathedral is the oldest church in Little Rock that has been used continuously since it was built. As of 2025, the main priest, called the rector, is Monsignor Joseph L. de Orbegozo.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
Early Days of the Church
Back in the early 1800s, the Catholic church in Little Rock was part of a larger church area called the Diocese of St. Louis in Missouri. In 1830, a priest named Reverend Peter Donnelly came to serve the small group of Catholics in Little Rock. He held the first Mass (a church service) in the city that same year, in a room above a store.
As more people joined the church, the community bought a building to use as a temporary chapel. In 1839, two missionaries, Joseph Richard Bole and Reverend Paris, built the first St. Andrew Church on Louisiana Street. People called it the "Old French Church." Bishop Mathias Loras from the Diocese of Dubuque officially opened it in 1841. That same year, a group of Sisters of Loretto (nuns) came and opened a school.
Becoming a Cathedral
On November 28, 1843, Pope Gregory XVI created the Diocese of Little Rock. This meant Little Rock became the center of a new church region. St. Andrew Parish was chosen as the main church, or "episcopal seat." Bishop Andrew Byrne officially opened the first St. Andrew Cathedral in 1845.
In 1850, Bishop Byrne invited a group of Sisters of Mercy from Ireland to come to the parish. He turned his own house next to the cathedral into a convent for them. The sisters then opened a day school. It had 55 students, and most of them were not Catholic.
Building the Current Cathedral
As the church community grew, Bishop Edward Fitzgerald decided they needed a bigger cathedral. He laid the first stone for the current St. Andrew Cathedral on July 7, 1878. The church was officially opened on November 27, 1881. The tallest tower on the building was finished in 1887.
In 1923, the church bought more land to build a larger St. Andrew School, which opened in 1924.
Changes and Repairs Over Time
In 1947, the church made big repairs to the cathedral's roof, walls, and steeples (the tall pointed tops of the towers). A tornado in 1950 knocked over the cross on one of the towers. It also broke two of the cathedral's beautiful stained glass windows.
In 1962, the church built a new crypt (an underground burial place) below the front entrance floor. This crypt holds the remains of four bishops who served the diocese. St. Andrew School closed in 1952 because fewer families were part of the parish. The rectory (the priest's house) was replaced in 1966.
In 1975, the church did a major renovation and changed parts of the cathedral. They made the sanctuary (the main worship area) larger and added a new altar.
The Cathedral of St. Andrew was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This means it is recognized as an important historical place.
About the Cathedral Building
Design and Materials
The Cathedral of St. Andrew was designed by an architect from Little Rock named Thomas Harding. It cost $470,000 to build. The church is built in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like old European cathedrals with pointed arches and tall towers. The building is made of gray granite stone, which came from Fourche Mountain near Little Rock.
The cathedral is about 140 feet (43 meters) long. Its main open area, called the nave, is 86 feet (26 meters) wide. The walls are 36 feet (11 meters) high.
Exterior Features
Outside, the cathedral has two towers. The tallest tower has a spire that rises 86 feet (26 meters) above the ground. The cathedral bell was put in its tower in 1886. It was dedicated to Reverend Patrick Reilly, who was the first main priest of the cathedral. The bell was made by the McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore, Maryland. It weighs between 3,300 and 3,400 pounds (about 1,500 kilograms). From 1890 to 1944, this bell was even used as part of Little Rock's fire alarm system!
Interior Features
Inside, the cathedral is finished with Southern yellow pine wood. It has a beautiful marble high altar decorated with onyx and other precious stones. The walls have paintings of the 14 Stations of the Cross. These paintings show different moments from the story of Jesus. Interestingly, they were originally made for another church in Chicago but were sent to St. Andrew by mistake! The paintings St. Andrew had ordered were actually smaller.
In 1916, the cathedral had four organs. These were replaced in 1931 with a large pipe organ from the M.P. Moller Pipe Organ Company. This new organ had over 3,000 pipes and 25 bells. At the time, it was thought to be one of the best pipe organs in Arkansas.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Andrés (Little Rock) para niños
