Our Lady of Victory Cathedral (Victoria, Texas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of Our Lady of Victory |
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 Location in Texas
Location in the United States
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| 28°49′27″N 96°59′31″W / 28.8243°N 96.9919°W | |
| Location | 1309 Mesquite Lane Victoria, Texas |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Website | www.olvcathedral.org |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral/Parish church |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Dedication | Our Lady of Victory |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Modern |
| Completed | 1958 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | One |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Victoria in Texas |
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Victory is a Catholic cathedral and parish church in Victoria, Texas, United States. It is the main church for the Diocese of Victoria in Texas. This means it is where the bishop of the area has his official seat.
Contents
The Story of Our Lady of Victory Cathedral
The idea for Our Lady of Victory Parish began in 1956. Two families, Thomas O'Connor Sr. and Martin O'Connor, gave 20 acres of land for a new Catholic church. Tom O'Connor, Jr. also donated over $600,000. He wanted to build this church to honor his wife, "Junie" Broussard O'Connor. Other Catholic families in the area also gave money.
The first stone, called a cornerstone, was placed on April 7, 1957. Archbishop Robert E. Lucey from San Antonio helped with this. The church was officially opened on November 4, 1958. Our Lady of Victory Catholic School also opened in September 1957. The school teaches students from pre-kindergarten (3k) to 8th grade. In 2022, the school celebrated its 65th birthday!
Msgr. Frederick O'Beck helped plan the church and school buildings. He was the pastor at St. Mary's in Victoria at the time. On July 12, 1958, Rev. Henry Rolf became the first pastor. The parish officially started the next day.
Becoming a Cathedral
On April 13, 1982, Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Victoria in Texas. At that time, Our Lady of Victory became the cathedral for the new diocese. This made it the most important church in the area.
New Buildings and Hurricane Damage
In 2009, the church bought the old Town Plaza Mall next door. The former J.C. Penney store was turned into the Cathedral Center. This new center has a large hall and meeting rooms. These rooms are used for parties, meetings, and church programs. A local company, Rawley McCoy & Associates, designed the project. It was finished in 2017. The rest of the mall was sold to the University of Houston–Victoria in the same year. A driveway and green space now separate the church buildings from the university.
In 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused water damage to the cathedral. The roof and wooden beams needed repairs. In the summer of 2019, the cathedral closed for more renovations. These repairs were needed because of the hurricane's water damage. Workers had to remove murals near the ceiling and create new ones. They also cleaned the pews and statues. The walls were cleaned of mold, and the wooden parts inside were restored. The walls were repainted, making sure the original murals looked just as beautiful.
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View from the organ tribune to the choir
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View to the nave
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Detail of the altar's mosaics
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The Sacred Heart chapel
See Also
