Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Knoxville, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of theMost Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| 35°55′33″N 84°00′02″W / 35.9258°N 84.0006°W | |
| Location | 711 S. Northshore Dr. Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Dedication | Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| Dedicated | March 3, 2018 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Cathedral/Parish church |
| Architect(s) | BarberMcMurry, McCrery Architects |
| Architectural type | Renaissance Revival |
| Groundbreaking | April 19, 2015 |
| Completed | 2018 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,358 |
| Number of domes | One |
| Dome height (outer) | 144 feet (44 m) |
| Materials | Indiana limestone Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Knoxville |
The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a very important church in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It's a cathedral, which means it's the main church for the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville. The first church building was finished in 1956. A much larger, new church was completed in 2018.
Contents
History of Sacred Heart
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Starting the Parish
The story of Sacred Heart Parish began in 1952. Leaders like Bishop William Lawrence Adrian decided that Knoxville needed another Catholic church. Land was bought in Bearden in 1953 for $25,000.
In 1955, Father Edward Dolan started planning to build a church, school, and other buildings. The parish officially opened on January 1, 1956, with 199 families. Father Dolan was the first pastor. The school opened on September 4, 1956, with 132 students. The first Mass in the new church was held on Christmas Eve, 1956.
Growing the Community
Father Joseph Julius became the pastor in 1972 and served until 1981. By this time, the parish had grown to over 1,000 families! During his time, a gym, new classrooms, and a school library were added. Another new parish, St. John Neumann, was started nearby, which helped share the growing number of church members.
From 1981 to 1987, Father Robert Hofstetter was the pastor. More additions were made to the school, including kindergarten rooms, science labs, and computer labs.
Becoming a Cathedral
In 1987, Father Xavier Mankel became the pastor. A big change happened the next year, on May 27, 1988. Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Knoxville. This meant Sacred Heart became the main church, or cathedral, for the new diocese.
In 1994, another new parish, All Saints, was formed, which included some families from Sacred Heart. Father David Boettner became the pastor and cathedral rector in 2010. At that time, there were 1,411 families in the parish. By June 2016, the community had grown to 1,600 families. The Sacred Heart Cathedral School usually has about 700 students from preschool to 8th grade each year.
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The New Cathedral Building
A brand new, much larger Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was built right in front of the older church. The main architects were BarberMcMurry from Knoxville and McCrery Architects from Washington, D.C.
Construction began on April 19, 2015. The new church was dedicated on March 3, 2018. It cost $30.8 million to build. The new cathedral can seat 1,358 people, which is much more than the old church's 580 seats. The worship area also grew from about 7,500 square feet to 28,000 square feet.
The central dome of the new cathedral is very tall, reaching 144 feet above the ground. It was inspired by the famous Florence Cathedral in Italy. Inside the dome, you can see pictures of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and his Twelve Apostles. Other saints are shown below them.
The outside of the church is made of Indiana limestone and Roman-style bricks. Inside, 17 different types of marble were used, making it very beautiful. The old cathedral building was changed into a fellowship hall for the parish community.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral del Sagrado Corazón (Knoxville) para niños
