Cathedral of the Holy Angels (Gary, Indiana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of the Holy Angels |
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Cathedral from the southeast in 2012
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| 41°35′55.99″N 87°20′55.93″W / 41.5988861°N 87.3488694°W | |
| Location | 640 Tyler Street Gary, Indiana |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral/Parish |
| Founded | September 1906 (parish) |
| Founder(s) | Msgr. F. Thomas Jansen |
| Dedication | Holy Angels |
| Dedicated | January 29, 1950 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1947 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | One |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Gary |
The Cathedral of the Holy Angels is a Catholic cathedral in Gary, Indiana, United States. It is the main church for the Diocese of Gary. It is also the home of Holy Angels Parish.
Contents
History of Holy Angels Cathedral
Holy Angels Parish was started in September 1906 by Rev. Thomas F. Jansen. This happened in the Diocese of Fort Wayne. It was the very first Catholic church parish in the city of Gary. At first, church services were held in a tavern. This tavern was located at Fifth Avenue and Broadway.
The first building for the parish was a combination of a church and a school. Many of the early church members were from Eastern Europe, Ireland, Germany, and Italy.
Growing the Parish and Building a New Church
Holy Angels School opened its doors in 1909. The School Sisters of Notre Dame taught the students there. The parish slowly grew over the years. By the 1940s, a bigger church building was needed.
Rev. John A. Sullivan was the pastor when the current church was built. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style. The first stone of the church was placed on October 26, 1947. Bishop John F. Noll officially opened the church on January 29, 1950.
Becoming a Cathedral
On December 10, 1956, Pope Pius XII created the Diocese of Gary. Because of this, Holy Angels Church became the main church, or cathedral, for the new diocese.
In the 1960s, the church community began to change. More African American and Latin American members joined Holy Angels. This happened when St. Anthony's and Sacred Heart churches closed.
The old school building and the convent (where the nuns lived) were torn down in 1965. A new, two-story building was constructed for $1.2 million. This new building had classrooms for the school, a convent, a gym, a cafeteria, and a parish hall.
On June 7, 1994, the school's name was changed to the Sister Thea Bowman School. Today, it is a charter school known as the Thea Bowman Leadership Academy.
Architecture and Design
When you walk into the main worship area, you first see the baptismal pool. From there, you are led to the altar. The altar is located in the transept (the part of the church that crosses the main body).
Special Features Inside
- The baptismal pool is made of travertine marble. Its four pillars at the bottom came from the old high altar.
- The base and top of the ambry are from the old baptismal font. The ambry is where the holy oils are kept. The top part is made from black walnut wood.
- The altar itself is made of marble and is shaped like a square.
- Around the altar on the floor, you can see angels made in mosaic (pictures made from small pieces of colored stone or glass). These angels show different human races: African, Caucasian, Asian, and Latin. This represents the many different people in the diocese.
- In the apse (the rounded end) of the cathedral, there is a reredos from the old high altar. This is a screen or decoration behind the altar. It shows a Calvary grouping (Jesus on the cross with others).
- The cathedra, which is the bishop's special chair, sits in the presbytery (the area near the altar). It is in front of the old reredos. This chair is carved from black walnut and was put in place in 1996. A carved angel stands next to the chair.
- The ambo (where readings are done) is made from the same materials as the altar and reredos.
Chapels and Shrines
The tabernacle is in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The tabernacle is a special box where the Eucharist (holy bread) is kept. Behind the tabernacle, four carved angels are kneeling in worship, forming a cross.
The shrine of the Holy Angels is in the east transept. It has an icon (a religious painting) called the Synaxis of the Holy Angels. This icon is made in an Ethiopian-Coptic style. The shrine honors church members and priests who have passed away. Bishop Andrew Gregory Grutka, who was the first bishop of Gary, was buried here in 1993.
Pastors and Rectors
The priests listed below have served as the pastors of Holy Angels Parish. Since 1956, they have also been the cathedral's rector. They are given the title "Very Reverend."
- Msgr. F. Thomas Jansen (1906–1942)
- Msgr. John A. Sullivan (1942–1963)
- Rev. John C. Witte (1963–1968)
- Rev. Casimir E. Sederak (1968–1971)
- Rev. Don C. Grass (1971–1983)
- Rev. Richard A. Emerson (1983)
- Msgr. Joseph A. Viater (1983–1985)
- Rev. William E. Vogt (1985–1986)
- Rev. Andrew Daniels, OFM Cap (1986–1992)
- Rev. Matthew Iwuji (1992–1997)
- Rev. Robert P. Gehring (1997–2007)
- Rev. Jon J. Plavcan (2007–2012)
- Rev. Michael J. Kopil (2012-2016)
- Rev. Kevin P. McCarthy (2016–2018)
- Rev. Michael Surufka, OFM (2019–)
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de los Santos Ángeles (Gary) para niños
