Sacred Heart Cathedral (Dodge City, Kansas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sacred Heart Cathedral
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 Location in Kansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | 903 Central Ave. Dodge City, Kansas |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Ralph Adams Cram |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000426 |
| Added to NRHP | February 10, 1983 |
Sacred Heart Cathedral is a beautiful old church building in Dodge City, Kansas, United States. It used to be the main church, called a cathedral, for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City. This special building is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of Sacred Heart Cathedral
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In the early days of Dodge City, church services, called Masses, were held in a building called the Union Church. This church was set up by local business people and used by different Christian groups. Priests like Father Felix Schwenberg and Father Ferdinand Wolf led services there.
Building the First Church
The very first Sacred Heart Church was finished in 1882. It was a wooden building designed in the Gothic Revival style. Later, Bishop John Joseph Hennessy of Wichita asked Father John Handly to build a new church. The bishop hoped this new church could one day become a cathedral for a new diocese.
Designing the Current Church
The famous architect Ralph Adams Cram designed the church you see today. He created it in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It's said that Father Handly had helped Cram with something personal. In return, Cram provided the plans for the church. Bishop Hennessy officially opened the new church on August 2, 1916.
Growth and Changes Over Time
The old church building was changed into a school. Sacred Heart School opened its doors in September 1916. As more students joined, new parts were added to the school in 1929, 1949, and 1954. The building where the priests live, called the rectory, was added in 1955. All the buildings in the area were designed in the same style. This makes them look like one big, planned complex. A new confessional, a small room for confessions, was added to the church in 1949.
Becoming a Cathedral
On May 19, 1951, Pope Pius XII created the Diocese of Dodge City. Because of this, Sacred Heart Church officially became the cathedral. In 1983, the cathedral was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical building.
Later, on December 9, 2001, Sacred Heart and another church, Our Lady of Guadalupe, joined together. They formed a new parish for the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Sacred Heart Cathedral is still used today as part of the school.
Architecture and Design
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Sacred Heart Cathedral is built in a style called a basilican plan. It measures about 110 feet (33.5 meters) long and 50 feet (15.2 meters) wide.
Outside the Church
On the northwest side of the building, there's a bell tower. It's designed in a Renaissance style and has a shiny silver dome with a cross on top. The outside walls are covered in stucco, which is a type of plaster. The windows on the north and south walls are shaped like half-circles.
The front of the church looks simple overall, but it has some special details. There's a unique four-leaf clover shaped window above the main entrance. The entrance itself is beautifully carved in the Spanish Baroque style.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church has open wooden beams that are held up by rounded arches. The floors are made of quarry tile, a type of stone tile.
A large painting on the back wall was created by George Melville Stone, an artist from Topeka. It shows the crucifixion of Jesus. The artist also included desert flowers, Native Americans, and a pinto pony in the painting.
Above the doors in the entrance area, there are three curved paintings called lunettes. They show scenes like the Good Samaritan, the Good Shepherd, and the Angels at the Tomb. The beautiful stained glass windows were made by Emil Frei Studios in St. Louis and put in place in 1948. In 1967, a simpler altar replaced the original one.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral del Sagrado Corazón (Dodge City) para niños
