Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Kansas City, Missouri) facts for kids
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Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 416 W. 12th Street Kansas City, Missouri |
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| Built | 1882–1883 |
| Part of | Quality Hill, Kansas City (ID78001657) |
| Added to NRHP | July 7, 1978 |
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a beautiful Catholic cathedral located in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It is one of the two main churches for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. A diocese is like a special church district led by a bishop. This cathedral is part of the historic Quality Hill neighborhood, which is a special area listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Early Churches in Kansas City
The story of the Cathedral began a long time ago. In 1833, a priest named Rev. Benedict Roux arrived in Kansas City. Two years later, he built a church made of logs. It was called St. John Francis Regis.
Later, from 1845 to 1880, another priest named Rev. Bernard Donnelly served the area. He was a "circuit-riding priest," meaning he traveled a lot to visit different communities. In 1857, he had a brick church built. This church was named Immaculate Conception.
Building the Cathedral
In 1880, a new church district, called the Diocese of Kansas City, was created by Pope Leo XIII. Bishop John Joseph Hogan chose the Immaculate Conception church to be the main cathedral for this new diocese.
The first stone, called a cornerstone, for the current cathedral was laid in 1882. Even though the inside was not finished and temporary windows were in place, the first church service happened in 1883. The cathedral was built on the highest point in the city. At 150 feet (37.6 meters) tall, it was the tallest building in Kansas City at that time. In its early years, people could buy tickets to climb the tower steps and see the amazing view of the city.
Special Features: Bells and Windows
In 1895, a set of eleven bells, called a carillon, was placed in the tower. Each bell has a saint's name, like St. Anna, St. Bernard, and St. Thomas. The largest bell, St. Thomas, rings more often than the others.
The beautiful stained glass windows were put in place in 1912. These windows were made by local artists at the Kansas City Stained Glass Works Company. They show different scenes from the Bible and stories about the life of Jesus.
Renovations and New Beginnings
Over the years, the cathedral has been updated and cared for. In 1955, Bishop Edwin V. O’Hara led a big project to renovate the inside of the cathedral.
A year later, in 1956, Pope Pius XII made a change. He combined parts of two dioceses to create the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph. Because of this, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception became one of two main cathedrals for the new diocese. The other is the Cathedral of St. Joseph.
The copper dome on the cathedral tower started to wear out. In 1960, Bishop John Cody led an effort to replace it. A new dome, a small tower called a cupola, and a cross were added. These new parts were covered in shiny 23-carat gold leaf.
More recently, a big fundraising effort called "Gift of Faith" started in 2001. This helped pay for another major renovation and restoration of the cathedral. Bishop Raymond J. Boland dedicated the newly restored cathedral on February 23, 2003.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción (Kansas City) para niños
