Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Albany, New York) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
East elevation and north profile, 2011
Location in New York
42°38′51″N 73°45′35″W / 42.64750°N 73.75972°W / 42.64750; -73.75972
Location	125 Eagle St. Albany, New York
Country	United States
Denomination	Catholic Church
History
Founded	1847
Consecrated	1902
Architecture
Heritage designation	NRHP #76001203
Designated	June 8, 1976
Architect(s)	Patrick Keely
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1848
Completed	1852
Construction cost	$250,000
Specifications
Capacity	2,500
Length	195 feet (59 m)
Width	95 feet (29 m)
Number of spires	Two
Spire height	210 feet (64 m)
Materials	brick, sandstone, plaster
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Albany

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a beautiful Catholic church in Albany, New York. It was built between 1848 and 1852. This cathedral is the main church, or "mother church," for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. In 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a very important historical site.

This cathedral is special for many reasons. It was designed by Irish American architect Patrick Keely. It's the second-oldest cathedral in New York State. Only St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York City is older. It's also the third oldest Catholic cathedral in the entire United States. Plus, it was the first Catholic cathedral in America built in the Neo-Gothic style, which looks like old European churches.

Inside, you can see amazing stained glass windows that came all the way from England. There are also award-winning sculptures called Stations of the Cross. When it was finished, it was the tallest building in Albany. Important leaders, including cardinals and leaders from other religions, have visited. It even hosted the weddings of two New York governors' daughters. In 1986, it held a special service for forgiveness between Catholics and Jews. A sculpture outside the church remembers this important event.

Building the cathedral was a big project. It was started by the first bishop of the diocese, John McCloskey. The main part took four years to build. But the south tower took 40 years! The church wasn't officially "consecrated" (blessed in a special ceremony) until its 50th anniversary in 1902. In the 1960s, a new government complex called Empire State Plaza was built nearby. This project almost caused the demolition of the cathedral's neighborhood. But the cathedral was saved. It has been renovated several times, including a huge $30 million restoration in the early 2000s.

Exploring the Cathedral Building

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception sits on a one-acre plot of land. It's located at the corner of Eagle Street and Madison Avenue. The land gently slopes down towards the Hudson River. The church is just outside the Mansion Historic District, another important historical area.

Nearby, you'll find large state government buildings. To the south, a parking lot separates the cathedral from the New York State Executive Mansion, where the governor lives. Other buildings nearby are in a more modern style. To the west, there's a plaza with a small fountain. Beyond that is a large building housing the New York State Museum and library. The Erastus Corning Tower, a very tall building in upstate New York, rises to the north. East of the cathedral is a parking garage.

What Does the Outside Look Like?

An iron fence surrounds the church building. The church is shaped like a Latin cross when viewed from above. It has two side aisles and a round area at the back called the chancel. The main part of the church, called the nave, is five sections long. Two tall towers, each 210-foot (64 m) high, stand on either side of the main entrance.

The walls are made of brick covered with sandstone. The roof is covered with slate shingles. The front of the church has three main doorways. They are decorated with pointed arches and small sculptures. Two larger supports, called buttresses, rise to the roof on each side. Above the doorways is a large Gothic window with detailed patterns.

The towers have four and a half stories. They are supported by strong buttresses at their corners. The windows on the towers change as they go up. The fourth story has three narrow, arched windows for the belfry, where the bells are. The north tower has a clock on its top half-story. From a castle-like base, the tall spires rise. They have small, narrow windows and rows of vertical decorations.

More buttresses rise along the sides of the nave. They separate the Gothic windows. These buttresses also have pointed decorations at the top. The round chancel at the back makes the church less boxy.

What Does the Inside Look Like?

When you enter the main doors, you step into a wide entrance area. From here, you can go into the towers or the main part of the church. Near the front is a baptismal font made of white stone. The wooden pews sit on a floor with a marble pattern.

Cathedral interior with Christmas decoration

The high, arched ceiling is supported by columns with detailed tops. These tops are decorated with designs like grapes and grape leaves. Large decorative stones connect the ceiling arches. Modern electric lights are on the walls between the arches. The Stations of the Cross are small sculptures along the sides. Between them are the beautiful stained glass windows, which are original to the building.

The back part of the church, the chancel, feels brighter and taller. The altar sits on a raised platform. Each of the seven sections in the chancel has a column with a small top. They have a carved panel with a statue of a saint. Above these are tall, narrow windows with more stained glass. On the south side is the bishop's special chair, called a cathedra.

A Look Back: Cathedral History

The cathedral was built for both religious and social reasons. It took a long time to finish. The building was neglected for some time in the 1900s. But it was beautifully restored in the early 2000s.

Catholicism Arrives in Albany (1796–1847)

In the late 1700s, there weren't many Catholics in New York. The whole state was just one parish, mostly in New York City. St. Mary's Church, started in downtown Albany in 1796, was the only Catholic church in upstate New York.

In 1808, the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York was created. Later, in 1817, Irish immigrants came to Albany to build the Erie Canal. More immigrants came because of the industries that grew around the canal. Many Catholics settled in Albany and nearby areas. They started new churches and divided St. Mary's original parish.

More Irish immigrants came in the 1840s because of the Great Famine. By 1847, the Catholic Church was well-established in Albany. So, Pope Pius IX agreed to create the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. John McCloskey became the first bishop of Albany in 1847. St. Mary's was his temporary main church.

Many churches in the new diocese were managed by local groups. Bishop McCloskey often disagreed with them about money. He felt that the way they managed things was causing problems. He believed that a new, dedicated cathedral was needed to show the bishop's authority.

Building the Cathedral (1848–1852)

Building a cathedral was also important for social reasons. Many Irish Catholic immigrants faced negative reactions from some people. Bishop McCloskey knew that a grand cathedral in Albany would show that immigrants belonged in their new country. He convinced priests to donate money to start a building fund.

John McCloskey, first Bishop of Albany

He hired Patrick Keely, an Irish immigrant architect, to design the cathedral. Keely would go on to design 500 churches! For the Albany cathedral, he was inspired by British architect Augustus Pugin. He also looked at other churches in New York City. He seemed to combine ideas from Trinity Church (Manhattan) and Grace Church (New York) with the twin towers of Calvary Church (Manhattan).

Over 10,000 people watched on a rainy day in July 1848 as Bishop McCloskey laid the first stone. McCloskey raised money from all over the U.S. and from Catholic groups in other countries. To save time, the inside was made of plaster and wood, painted to look like stone. Most workers were immigrants, and many volunteered their time. The total cost was $250,000, which is a lot of money even today. The cathedral opened for services in late 1852.

Finishing and Blessing the Church (1853–1902)

The building wasn't fully finished yet. The tall spires on the outside were still missing. Inside, the back part of the church, the chancel, hadn't been added. The beautiful stained glass window showing the life of the Virgin Mary, called the Lady Window, was already there. It was made in England. Other stained glass windows also came from England.

The Lady Window

Construction continued. By 1858, there was enough money to add one spire. The north tower was finished in 1862. Its 210-foot (64 m) height made it the tallest building in the city for many years. Bells made in nearby Watervliet were hung in the belfry. They rang for the first time on December 8, 1862.

In 1868, the iron fence around the cathedral was added. Albany's Catholic population kept growing with immigrants from Germany and Italy. The church needed restoration in 1882.

The diocese was able to build the south tower's spire in 1888. Four years later, the apse and sacristies were added. This completed the original design. The inside was also updated. More stained glass windows were added, including one showing the Last Judgment in 1897. The choir stalls were carved in Belgium. The tall pulpit was carved from Dutch oak.

Station of the Cross XI

The original painted Stations of the Cross were replaced with new sculptures in 1900. These sculptures had won an award at a big exhibition in Paris in 1889. Two years later, in 1902, the cathedral was officially blessed by Bishop Thomas Martin Aloysius Burke. This was on the 50th anniversary of its opening. The outside of the church was also refaced that same year.

Challenges and Changes (1903–2008)

The cathedral played an important role in the city for the first half of the 1900s. Priests were ordained and bishops were blessed there. Many important visitors came, including cardinals and leaders from other religions. In the 1920s, Al Smith, a Catholic, became governor of New York. He lived next door and regularly attended the cathedral. In 1928, his daughter was married there.

In 1936, the supports (buttresses) on the north and south aisles were replaced. No other major work was done for a while. In the 1960s, the cathedral faced a big threat. Much of the surrounding neighborhood was torn down to build the Empire State Plaza. This huge government complex was planned by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Many homes were lost, and the church's future was uncertain. But Governor Rockefeller and Bishop William Scully worked together to save the cathedral.

Bishop Edwin Broderick, who followed Scully, realized the church needed major repairs. It was old and showing its age. But the task was too big and costly at the time. So, only smaller repairs were done, like new decorations on the towers.

Howard Hubbard became bishop in 1977. He was interested in bringing different religions together. This led to a special Palm Sunday service in 1986. It was the first time Christians and Jews held a service of reconciliation there. Bishop Hubbard expressed regret for past actions against Jewish people. A sculpture called Portal outside the church remembers this event. In 1993, the daughter of another Catholic governor, Mario Cuomo, was married in the cathedral.

Restoration and Renewal (2009–Present)

The building continued to get worse. Every winter, a leak in the roof would cause a giant icicle, 62-foot (19 m) long, to form inside. One year, a large piece of plaster fell from the ceiling, almost hitting a visiting bishop. Bishop Hubbard knew that major repairs could not wait any longer.

Chancel and apse, with relocated altar

He started a campaign to raise money. The estimated cost was $10 million at first. The diocese raised about two-thirds of that amount. The cathedral closed for a year and a half. During this time, rotten wood was replaced, plaster was fixed, and new electrical wiring was installed. The walls were repainted to their original colors. The altar was moved closer to the pews. The baptismal font was moved to the back of the church. The pews were made wider and more comfortable.

Outside, new sandstone from England replaced the old, damaged stone on the north tower. New granite steps and sandstone entrances were added to the main doors. The north tower's spire was completely replaced. It was leaning 13 inches (330 mm) over the street! A new cross was placed on top when it was finished. A special rolled lead roof, the only one like it in the U.S., was installed to keep water out.

After spending $19 million, the cathedral reopened in 2010. It was rededicated on its 158th anniversary later that year. A thousand people attended the special Mass. Bishop Hubbard said the cathedral reminds people of God's presence among the many government buildings. He also mentioned how happy he was to see the original colors restored. Many people were very impressed with the restoration.

Music at the Cathedral

Music has always been an important part of the cathedral's services. In the past, the cathedral had its own orchestra and a 75-member choir. They regularly performed classical music.

The cathedral is also used as a place for concerts. Besides its regular sacred music events, it has hosted groups like the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Famous artists, like Irish tenor Anthony Kearns, have performed there.

The Organ

When it opened in 1852, the cathedral had a large pipe organ designed by Henry Erben. This instrument was 52 feet (16 m) high and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. It cost $8,000. It had 42 different sounds and 3,000 pipes. Some changes were made to it in 1880.

In 1947, parts of that organ were used in a new organ built by M.P. Moller. Some of the original pipes were kept. In 1969, a special trumpet stop was added.

By the late 1970s, the organ was damaged by vibrations from the construction of Empire State Plaza. It became unusable. A temporary electronic organ was brought in. During the 2000s renovation, the electronic organ was removed. A smaller temporary instrument was used.

The pipes from the old Moller organ were taken out and put into storage. The hope is that they can be used again in a new pipe organ in the future.

The Bells

By the mid-1970s, none of the 10 Meneely bells in the towers had been rung for a long time. Their wooden supports were old and broken. As part of the restoration, a volunteer named Joe Connors worked to fix them.

A system was installed to ring the bells electronically. But Connors found mistakes in the system. The famous Westminster Quarters tune, which rang every 15 minutes, sounded wrong. The bells were programmed to play notes they didn't actually have.

After fixing the software, Connors got the quarters to play correctly. He turned off other hymns until new software could be bought. In the meantime, he offered to fix the pulleys and belts so the bells could be played by hand. By early 2012, Connors had fixed seven of the bells.

See also

• List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
• List of cathedrals in the United States
• Catholic Marian church buildings
• History of Albany, New York
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Albany, New York

Images for kids

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  Calvary Church in Manhattan as it appeared in the mid-19th century