Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Pensacola, Florida) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of the Sacred Heart |
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| 30°25′53.98″N 87°12′14.63″W / 30.4316611°N 87.2040639°W | |
| Location | 1212 E. Moreno St. Pensacola, Florida |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Dedication | Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| Dedicated | May 18, 1967 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Modern Romanesque |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Pensacola-Tallahassee |
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is a very important Roman Catholic church located in Pensacola, Florida. It is the main church for the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. This means it's one of the two most important churches in the diocese. The other one is the Co-Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Tallahassee. The cathedral is named to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
The story of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart began in 1905. At that time, Pensacola was part of the Archdiocese of Mobile. Bishop Edward Patrick Allen asked Father Fullerton to oversee the building of a new church. This church would be called Sacred Heart Church.
Building the First Church
Construction of the first Sacred Heart Church started in 1905. However, a big hurricane hit Pensacola in 1906. The storm sadly destroyed the church's roof while it was still being built. Workers quickly rebuilt the church. Bishop Allen officially opened the new church in April 1907. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style. Back then, only about twenty-five families belonged to the church.
Sacred Heart School
A school was also started in 1907, called Sacred Heart Academy. It was run by a group of nuns, first called the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Later, they became known as the Sisters of the Most Holy Sacrament. The school taught both boys and girls. Some girls even lived at the school as boarders.
In 1945, the Sisters of the Most Holy Sacrament left. For a year, Benedictine Sisters took over. Then, in 1946, the Dominican Sisters from Adrian, Michigan started running the school. They stayed until 1970. During their time, the school stopped having boarding students.
Growth and a New Church
In the early 1900s, Pensacola grew a lot because of the lumber industry. The East Hill neighborhood, where Sacred Heart Church was located, also grew quickly. After about 50 years, the church congregation became too large. They needed a bigger building for their services.
The current school building was finished in 1951 and opened in 1952. The gym and parish hall were also used for church services for a while. The original church building was sold in 1956 for just $100 to the city of Pensacola. The city then gave the building to the Greater Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. Today, that first church building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site.
Becoming a Cathedral
The church building you see today was officially opened on May 18, 1967. Archbishop Thomas Joseph Toolen of Mobile dedicated it. This new church is made of brick and has a Modern design. It also takes inspiration from the Romanesque Basilica style.
In 1968, a new church region was created called the Ecclesiastical Province of Miami. Ten counties in northwest Florida, including Pensacola, moved from the Diocese of Mobile to the Diocese of St. Augustine.
Then, in 1975, Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. On November 6, 1975, Bishop René Henry Gracida became the first bishop of this new diocese. Sacred Heart Church was then named the main church, or "cathedral," for the diocese. St. Thomas More Church in Tallahassee was named the "co-cathedral."
See also
In Spanish: Catedral del Sagrado Corazón (Pensacola) para niños
