Holy Family Old Cathedral (Anchorage, Alaska) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Family Old Cathedral |
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Holy Family Old Cathedral, Anchorage
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 Location in Downtown Anchorage
Location in Alaska
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| 61°13′2.53″N 149°53′52.69″W / 61.2173694°N 149.8979694°W | |
| Location | 811 W. Sixth Ave. Anchorage, Alaska |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Website | www.holyfamilycathedral.org |
| History | |
| Founded | 1915 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Augustine A. Porreca McEntire and Pendergast |
| Style | Art Deco |
| Groundbreaking | 1946 |
| Completed | 1948 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Anchorage–Juneau |
Holy Family Old Cathedral is a historic church located in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, in the United States. It used to be the main church, known as a cathedral, for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage. This was from 1966 until 2020.
As Anchorage grew, the cathedral became too small for large church events. Because of this, another church, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, was also made a co-cathedral in 2014.
In 2020, Pope Francis combined the former Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau into one new area, the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau. Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral became the main cathedral for this new area. The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Juneau became the co-cathedral. Holy Family Church stopped being a cathedral at this time, but it still serves as a local parish church for the community.
Contents
History of Holy Family Old Cathedral
Early Beginnings in Anchorage (1915-1940s)
Holy Family Parish started in 1915, the same year the city of Anchorage was founded. A priest named John Vander Pol was sent to Alaska to see if a church was needed in the new settlement. Land for the new church was bought for $175.
Pol designed a simple wooden building, about 24 feet by 48 feet. It was built for $1,400. Construction began in September 1915 and was finished on December 15 of the same year. This was the very first church building constructed in Anchorage.
Building a Larger Church (1940s-1950s)
The church quickly became too small for the growing number of people. Plans were made early on to build a bigger church. However, finding enough money was hard, and it took several decades to afford a larger building.
The current church was built when Robert O'Flanagan was the pastor. Augustine A. Porreca, an architect from Seattle, was chosen to design the new church. Work on the new building began in 1946. The first church service in the unfinished basement was held on December 14, 1947. The main part of the church was ready for use by the end of 1948. The church's interior was fully completed in 1952.
Becoming a Cathedral (1960s)
On Good Friday in 1964, a very strong earthquake (magnitude 9.2) hit South Central Alaska. It caused a lot of damage. After the earthquake, a special representative of the Pope came to see the damage. They saw that Anchorage would become a very important city for both the state and the church.
In 1966, the Pope created the Archdiocese of Anchorage, making Alaska a separate church region. Archbishop Joseph T. Ryan became the first Archbishop of Anchorage on April 14, 1966. With the creation of this new archdiocese, Holy Family Church officially became a cathedral.
Changes and Papal Visit (1970s-1980s)
The original main entrance to the cathedral was through the side of the building, in the tower. Later, a new entrance area, called a portico, was designed for the front of the church. It has two sets of doors with large windows above them. The outside of the church was originally a natural gray color. In 1970, it was painted off-white. In 1974, Archbishop Ryan invited the Order of Preachers (also known as Dominicans) to serve at the cathedral.
The cathedral was a very important place in 1981 when Pope John Paul II visited Anchorage. An estimated 80,000 people came to see him. The Pope held a special meeting in the cathedral and another meeting for people with disabilities in the church's basement during his visit.
Transition to Old Cathedral (2010s-2020)
Because the archdiocese continued to grow and the downtown location had limited space, Holy Family was no longer practical for many large church events. In 2013, Archbishop Roger Schwietz asked the Holy See (the Pope's central government) to name Our Lady of Guadalupe Church a co-cathedral, while Holy Family would remain the historic cathedral. In October 2014, this request was approved. Our Lady of Guadalupe became a co-cathedral on December 14, 2014.
In 2020, Pope Francis combined the Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau into a new, larger archdiocese called Anchorage-Juneau. The official document that created this new archdiocese named Our Lady of Guadalupe as its main cathedral. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Juneau was named its co-cathedral. At this point, Holy Family stopped being a cathedral and was given the title "Old Cathedral."
See also
In Spanish: Excatedral de la Sagrada Familia (Anchorage) para niños
