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 large and important cathedral and parish church in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It is the main church for the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville. The first church building was finished in 1956. A much larger, new church building was completed in 2018.
Contents
History of Sacred Heart
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Starting a New Church
The story of Sacred Heart Parish began in 1952. Church leaders decided Knoxville needed a third Catholic parish (a local church community). Land was bought in Bearden in 1953 for $25,000.
In 1955, Father Edward Dolan started planning to build a church, school, rectory (where priests live), and convent (where nuns live). The total cost was about $1 million. The parish officially started on January 1, 1956, with 199 families. Father Dolan became the first pastor (leader) of the parish.
The school opened on September 4, 1956, with 132 students. The first Mass (church service) in the new church was held on Christmas Eve, 1956.
Growing the Parish
From 1972 to 1981, Father Joseph Julius led Sacred Heart. The number of families grew to over 1,000. During this time, a gymnasium, new classrooms, and a school library were added. Another new parish, St. John Neumann, was started nearby, which helped share the growing number of Catholic families.
More buildings were added when Father Robert Hofstetter was pastor from 1981 to 1987. These included 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. A diocese is a large area managed by a bishop. Sacred Heart became the main church, or cathedral, for this new diocese.
In 1994, another new parish, All Saints, was created. This helped manage the growing Catholic community. Father David Boettner became the pastor and cathedral rector (another name for the head priest of a cathedral) in 2010. At that time, there were 1,411 families in the parish. By 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 in front of the older church. The groundbreaking ceremony (when construction officially begins) was held on April 19, 2015. The new building cost $30.8 million.
The new cathedral was officially dedicated on March 3, 2018. It can seat 1,358 people, which is much more than the old cathedral'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, rising 144 feet (about 44 meters) 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, seventeen different types of marble were used! The old cathedral building was changed into a fellowship hall for the parish community.
See also
