Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Juneau, Alaska) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Co-Cathedral of the Nativityof the Blessed Virgin Mary |
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Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Juneau
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 Location in Alaska
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| 58°18′12″N 134°24′30″W / 58.30336°N 134.40831°W | |
| Location | 416 Fifth Street Juneau, Alaska  |
| Country |  United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Founder(s) | John Althoff |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1910 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Wood |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Anchorage-Juneau |
The Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an important Catholic church in Juneau, Alaska. It is located at 416 Fifth Street. Until 2020, it was the main church for the Juneau Catholic area. Now, it is one of two main churches for the larger Anchorage-Juneau Catholic area. Some people believe it might be the smallest cathedral in North America.
Contents
History of the Co-Cathedral
Early Days and First Church
In 1885, a priest named John Althoff was sent to Juneau. He came from Charles John Seghers, who was an important church leader. Althoff started a new church community, called a parish, for the people living in Alaska's Silverbow Basin. This area was growing because of mining.
A church building was put up in 1886. It was built on the same street, Fifth Street, where the current cathedral stands today.
Building the Current Cathedral
The first church building was replaced in 1910. The new building is the one you see today. It became the main church for the area.
Becoming a Cathedral
In 1951, the church became even more important. It was officially named a cathedral. This happened when the Diocese of Juneau was created. A diocese is like a special church district. Robert Dermot O'Flanagan became the first Bishop of Juneau. He had been a priest in Alaska since 1933.
Expanding the Church Community
In 1962, the cathedral church started a new mission church. This was in the Mendenhall Valley area of Juneau. It helped serve people living there and around Auke Bay.
Ten years later, in 1972, the mission church became its own separate parish. This was done by Francis Thomas Hurley, another church leader. The new church was named St. Paul the Apostle Parish.
Recent Changes and Mergers
In 2019, people started raising money to fix up the cathedral. This project had support from Andrew E. Bellisario, who is now a very important church leader.
A big change happened on September 17, 2020. The Diocese of Juneau joined with the Archdiocese of Anchorage. An archdiocese is a larger church area. Because of this, the church building in Juneau is now a co-cathedral. This means it shares the main church role with Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral in Anchorage, Alaska.
See also
