Saints Peter and Paul Basilica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church and Buildings
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 214 E. 8th St., Chattanooga, Tennessee |
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| Area | 2.1 acres (0.85 ha) |
| Built | 1888–1890 |
| Architect | Peter Dedericks, Jr. |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002441 |
| Added to NRHP | December 11, 1979 |
The Saints Peter and Paul Basilica is an old and important Roman Catholic church. You can find it in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. This church is so special that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's also one of the oldest churches still active in the Diocese of Knoxville area.
Contents
About the Basilica
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The Saints Peter and Paul church started in Chattanooga in January 1852. At first, the small but growing Catholic group met in different buildings. In 1858, they began building a stone church. But work stopped in 1860 because of the American Civil War.
The Church During the Civil War
In September 1863, during the Battle of Chickamauga, the Union Army took over the church. It was almost finished. The soldiers used stones from the church to build forts and bridges. A general named William Rosecrans, who was Catholic, tried to stop them. But when General George H. Thomas took his place, the church was torn down more.
After the war, the church asked the U.S. government for money. They wanted to be paid for the stones that were taken. Finally, in 1889, the church received $18,729 to help fix the damage from the war.
Building the Current Church
Under the leadership of Father William Walsh, a priest from Ireland, building began on the church you see today. This was on February 1, 1888. The current building was officially opened on June 29, 1890. In 1979, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was listed as the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church and Buildings.
Inside the Basilica
The church has amazing stained-glass windows. They were designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. These windows show important moments in the lives of the church's patron saints. The windows on the east side show scenes from the life of Saint Peter. The windows on the west side show scenes from the life of Saint Paul.
The walls of the church also have 14 Stations of the Cross. These are colorful pictures that show the suffering, death, and burial of Jesus Christ. The large organ in the church was built in 1936 by a company called Kilgen.
Basilica History
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In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI gave Saints Peter and Paul a special title. It was made a minor basilica. Bishop Richard Stika of the Diocese of Knoxville officially announced this on October 22, 2011. Monsignor George E. Schmidt, Jr., who had been the church's pastor since 1986, became its first rector. He was one of more than 30 young men from this church who became priests.
Father Patrick Ryan
In 2016, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville began a process to make Father Patrick Ryan a saint. He was a pastor at Saints Peter and Paul from 1872 to 1878. Father Ryan died from yellow fever on September 28, 1878, when he was only 33 years old. People who knew him said he went "from house to house in the worst-infected section of the city." He wanted to find out how he could help the sick and needy.
See also
