Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Houston) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

Location in Texas
29°45′00″N 95°22′07″W / 29.7499°N 95.3687°W / 29.7499; -95.3687
Location	1111 St. Joseph Parkway Houston, Texas
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Co-Cathedral
Founded	1896
Dedication	Sacred Heart of Jesus
Dedicated	April 2, 2008
Architecture
Architect(s)	Ziegler Cooper Architects
Style	Post-modern Art Deco
Completed	2008
Construction cost	$49 million
Specifications
Capacity	1,820
Nave width	72 feet (22 m)
Number of domes	One
Number of spires	One
Spire height	117 feet (36 m)
Materials	limestone and marble-clad walls, Metal Roof
Administration
Diocese	Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is a large church in downtown Houston, Texas. It can hold 1,820 people. This church, along with St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston, serves over 1.2 million Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

What is a Co-Cathedral?
- Why Houston Needed a Co-Cathedral
History of Sacred Heart Parish
Building the New Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral
Awards for the New Co-Cathedral
Future Plans for the Old Site
Images for kids
See also

What is a Co-Cathedral?

A co-cathedral is a special church that shares the main duties of a cathedral. It means there are two main churches for a diocese (a church area led by a bishop).

Why Houston Needed a Co-Cathedral

In 1847, Pope Pius IX created the Diocese of Galveston for Texas. This area was huge, covering as much land as France. St. Mary's Cathedral in Galveston became the first Catholic Cathedral in Texas. For over 100 years, it was the only one.

But Houston grew very quickly. By 1959, the church leaders decided Houston needed its own main church. They chose Sacred Heart Church, built in 1911, to become a co-cathedral. This allowed important church ceremonies to happen in Houston too. Both cathedrals are equally important. However, St. Mary's is still known as the "Mother Cathedral" because it was the first.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II gave St. Mary's Cathedral an even higher title: a Basilica. This recognized its important history in Texas.

History of Sacred Heart Parish

The old Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

Interior of the old Co-Cathedral

The Sacred Heart parish (a local church community) started in downtown Houston on November 22, 1896. This was the fourth Catholic parish in the city. Reverend Thomas Keaney was its first leader.

A temporary church was built first in 1897. Then, construction for a larger Sacred Heart Church began in 1911. This new church opened on April 14, 1912. It cost about $96,669 and could hold 800 people. The old temporary church then became a school building.

Over the years, the church buildings were improved. In 1920, a new rectory (where priests live) was built. In 1922, the original school building was taken down to make way for a newer, bigger school.

Later leaders added beautiful decorations inside the church, like statues. They also added central heating and air-conditioning in the 1950s. The church bought more land, owning a whole city block.

The inside of the Co-Cathedral was last updated in 1990. New mosaic artworks were added. One mosaic shows Jesus as a teacher. Another shows a Eucharistic symbol, like the miracle of the loaves and fish. A third mosaic shows a baptism scene.

In 2006, the church bought the old Federal Reserve Bank Building. They called it Cathedral Centre. This building now has classrooms, offices, and rooms for youth activities.

Building the New Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral

Cathedral nave and sanctuary

The Resurrection window

By the 2000s, the old Co-Cathedral was too small for the growing church community. It had been added to many times. So, the church leaders decided to build a brand new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

Ziegler Cooper Architects designed the new church. Construction started on January 30, 2005. The new Sacred Heart was planned to be a major church and a community center.

The new co-cathedral can seat 1,820 people. It is built in a simple Italian Romanesque style. The outside is made of Indiana Limestone. The inside has lots of beautiful marble. The dome reaches 117 feet high. It has 108 stained glass windows made in Florence, Italy.

The new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart officially opened on April 2, 2008. Many important church leaders from around the world attended the dedication Mass. The new church cost about $49 million. It continues to serve the people of the archdiocese, along with St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica.

Awards for the New Co-Cathedral

Main façade

After the new Co-Cathedral was finished in 2008, the construction company, Linbeck Group, won many awards for their work. These awards recognized the excellent building quality.

Future Plans for the Old Site

In 2007, plans were announced for the area around the old Co-Cathedral. The 1922 Sacred Heart School building was planned to be taken down to create parking. There were also plans to turn an old parking lot into a beautiful park called Cathedral Green. In 2023, the archdiocese announced that the former co-cathedral building itself would be taken down.