Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Cleveland, Ohio) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Location	1007 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Architecture
Architect(s)	Patrick Keely (1852), Stickle and Associates (1946–48)
Years built	1852
Administration
Diocese	Cleveland

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, often called St. John's Cathedral, is a very old Roman Catholic church in Cleveland, Ohio. It's located at 1007 Superior Avenue. This beautiful building was finished in 1852. It serves as the main church, or cathedral, for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Over the years, it has been updated and made bigger. But its main look and feel are still much like they were when it was first built.

History of St. John's Cathedral
See also

History of St. John's Cathedral

Interior of the Cathedral

Many Catholics moved to the Western Reserve area of Ohio in the 1830s. Visiting priests from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati helped them. A group of Irish settlers started St. Mary's of the Flats in 1826. This group met in different places before building their own church in 1837.

In 1847, Pope Pius IX created the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. He chose Louis Amadeus Rappe to be its first bishop. Bishop Rappe decided to build St. John's Cathedral. He picked a spot on Superior Street and Erie Street (now East 9th Street). This land was bought in 1845.

Building the Cathedral

Bishop Rappe chose Patrick Keely as the architect. Keely designed the church in a fancy Gothic style. The first stone was laid on October 22, 1848. St. Mary's church was used as the main cathedral until the new one was ready. The new cathedral was completed in 1852. At that time, it was quite far from Cleveland's main Public Square.

Early Changes and Additions

Changes and additions began soon after the church was built. In 1857, a school for boys was added. Within ten years, a parish hall and a girls' school were also built. In 1879, enough money was raised to decorate the inside and outside. A tall spire was also added to the church. To pay for the first building, Bishop Rappe had to ask for donations. He even got money from places like New York City and France.

In 1884, the church's inside was redecorated. New stained glass windows were put in. Walnut wood furniture was added in the main worship area. The windows were replaced again in 1902 with special art glass windows from Munich.

A Famous Funeral

On August 20, 1920, a very large funeral took place at the cathedral. It was for Ray Chapman, a famous baseball player. Thousands of people gathered inside and around the cathedral. Chapman was a popular player. He had sadly passed away a few days before. He was hit in the head by a pitched baseball during a game. He is still the only player to have died from an injury during a Major League baseball game.

Major Renovations in the 1940s

In 1943, Archbishop Joseph Schrembs planned to update the cathedral. But because of World War II, the work didn't start until 1945. After the war, Archbishop Edward Francis Hoban continued the plan. Construction began in 1946. The old cathedral was made bigger. Its brick outside was covered with orange sandstone.

A new bell tower was built, and the inside was redecorated. However, the tower did not have bells until 1988. The church also got a new reredos, which is a decorated screen behind the altar. Today, the cathedral can seat about 1,500 people.

New Chapels and Relics

The updated cathedral included several new chapels. One was the Resurrection Chapel. It holds the tombs of past bishops. It also holds the relics of St. Christine of Calixtus. Her relics were found in ancient burial tunnels outside Rome. Pope Pius XI gave them to Archbishop Scrembs in 1925.

Evidence shows Christine was a girl of 13 or 14. She died for her faith around the year 300. As was the custom then, she was buried with a small glass bottle of her blood. This showed she was a martyr, meaning she died for her beliefs.

The Organ and Later Changes

A large organ with 4,368 pipes was installed during the 1940s renovation. It was built by the Holtkamp Organ Company in Cleveland. This organ is still used in the church today. It can be played from two different places. On September 4, 1948, Archbishop Hoban and Cardinal Francis Spellman celebrated a special Mass. This marked the completion of the cathedral's renovation.

A building for St. John's College was added during this time. Later, St. John's College joined with Ursuline College. The college building was torn down in 1981 to build the Eaton Center. In 1964, a dormitory tower was added. It was later changed to hold church offices. In 2007, the offices moved, and the tower was removed to create a parking lot. A parking garage was built nearby for churchgoers.

Vatican II Reforms and Bells

In 1977, Bishop James Hickey made more changes. These were due to new rules from Vatican II. The altar was moved closer to the people. This new spot is about where the original cathedral's altar stood.

In 1988, church members raised money to put bells in the tower. The tower had been built in the 1940s but had no bells. There are six bells. They weigh from 375 lb (170 kg) to 3,300 lb (1,500 kg). Each bell is named after a saint or blessed person important in US history. The bells first rang for Christmas Masses in 1988.

Recent Events and Leaders

In 1996, Cleveland's Italian American community helped pay to update the sacristy. This celebrated Bishop Anthony Pilla becoming president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 1997, the diocese celebrated its 150th birthday. ABC-TV even made a special show about the cathedral.

Bishop Pilla opened a "Holy Door" in 2000. This was part of a special Holy Year announced by Pope John Paul II. In 2002, the cathedral fixed its flagpole. It was rededicated on September 11, 2002. This was one year after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

In 2006, Bishop Pilla retired. Pope Benedict XVI chose Bishop Richard Lennon to be the 10th Bishop of Cleveland. In 2016, Bishop Lennon asked to retire early because of his health. Pope Francis accepted his resignation on December 28, 2016. On the same day, Pope Francis named Daniel Edward Thomas to temporarily lead the diocese.

On July 11, 2017, Pope Francis named Nelson Jesus Perez as the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. He officially started his role on September 5, 2017. Three years later, Bishop Perez became Archbishop of Philadelphia. Then, Pope Francis named Edward C. Malesic as the new Bishop of Cleveland.

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Cleveland, Ohio) facts for kids

Contents