St. Ambrose Cathedral (Des Moines, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Ambrose Cathedral |
|
|---|---|
St. Ambrose Cathedral in 2022
|
|
| Location | 607 High Street Des Moines, Iowa |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral/Parish |
| Founded | 1856 (parish) |
| Dedication | Ambrose of Milan |
| Dedicated | October 11, 1891 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | James J. Egan |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1890 |
| Completed | 1891 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 185 feet (56 m) |
| Width | 102 feet (31 m) |
| Number of spires | One |
| Spire height | 120 feet (37 m) |
| Materials | Bedford stone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Des Moines |
St. Ambrose Cathedral is a historic building in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. It is a parish church and the main church (called the seat) for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines. The Catholic Church uses it for its services. This cathedral, along with the building next to it called the rectory, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it is an important historical site.
Contents
History of St. Ambrose Cathedral
How the Parish Started
The very first Catholic Mass in what is now Des Moines happened in 1851. It was held in a small log hut by Father Alexander Hattenberger. At that time, Des Moines was part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, which covered all of Iowa.
In 1856, a year after Iowa's capital moved to Des Moines, the first St. Ambrose Church was built. Father George Plathe was the first priest to live in Des Moines. He built this first church, which was about 40 feet by 24 feet (12 by 7 meters).
In 1861, Father John F. Brazill became the pastor. He built a school in 1863. The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary came to teach at this new school. By 1865, a larger stone church was built. This church had a Gothic Revival style with two towers. Father Brazill was a very important person in the Church and in the community. He bought a lot of land for himself and the Church. One piece of land he owned became the spot for the new St. Ambrose church in the 1890s.
St. Ambrose was the only Catholic church in Des Moines until 1869. Then, St. Mary's Church was built for the German community. Later, in 1882, Visitation Parish was founded.
Building the Current Cathedral
Construction on the current St. Ambrose Church began in 1890. It was finished the next year, costing about $120,000. Bishop Henry Cosgrove officially opened the church on October 11, 1891. James J. Egan from Chicago was the architect who designed it. He also designed another cathedral in Davenport, Iowa.
Father Michael Flavin, who oversaw the building, saw a model of a beautiful high altar designed by Tiffany Studios. He had a copy of it made from marble in Italy for St. Ambrose.
In 1905, St. John's Parish was created from part of St. Ambrose Parish. Its church building later became a Minor Basilica in 1989. In 1906, St. Anthony's Parish was started on the south side of Des Moines.
In 1911, Pope Pius X created the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines. St. Ambrose Church was chosen to be the main church, or cathedral, for this new diocese. This was a very important moment for the church. In 1920, St. Augustin's Parish was also founded from St. Ambrose.
Changes and Renovations Over Time
In the 1920s, Bishop Thomas Drumm and the pastor, Francis O'Connell, updated the cathedral. They built the current rectory next to the church in 1927. New items like a bishop's throne, a pulpit, and a communion rail were added inside the church. The Chapel of Our Lady was also added at this time. A new pipe organ was installed in 1929.
More changes happened in the 1940s. New stained glass windows were put in, and the Stations of the Cross were added. A large new reredos (a screen behind the altar) was made for the high altar.
Another big renovation started in the 1970s. Bishop Maurice Dingman wanted to make the church better for worship and needed repairs. The church worked with experts to plan the changes. The renovation was finished in May 1978. The inside of the cathedral was painted and decorated again in 1996-1997.
In 1979, Bishop Dingman allowed the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa to use St. Ambrose Cathedral for a special event. This showed a spirit of ecumenism, which means working together between different Christian groups.
Architecture of the Cathedral
The cathedral was designed in the Romanesque Revival style. This style looks similar to old churches in southern France. The building is made of Bedford limestone and measures about 185 feet long by 102 feet wide (56 by 31 meters).
The front of the church has a large main entrance under a round arch. Above it are four tall, round-arched windows. On the right side of the entrance is a tall bell tower. It is about 120 feet (37 meters) high and has a pyramid-shaped top. On the left side, there is a shorter structure with a rounded part and a cone-shaped roof. The back of the church has a rounded apse.
The inside of the cathedral is a large open space without many pillars. This was a common feature in the architect Egan's designs. The ceiling is shaped like a barrel vault and is about 50 feet (15 meters) high.
The windows in the cathedral are unique. They are like translucent mosaics and show the history of the Catholic faith in the United States, Iowa, and the Diocese of Des Moines. They don't just show Bible stories or saints' lives, which is different from many other Catholic churches. The rose window in the Chapel of Our Lady shows the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The altar, ambo (a stand for reading), and chair in the Chapel of Our Lady were used by Pope John Paul II. He used them during a Mass when he visited Living History Farms near Des Moines in 1979.
The Rectory Building
The rectory is the building next to the cathedral where the priests live. It is about 85 feet by 60 feet (26 by 18 meters). It is a three-story building made of stone and brick. It is also designed in the Romanesque Revival style to match the cathedral.
The roof of the rectory is gabled, running parallel to the cathedral's roof. Most of the windows are rectangular. However, on the front of the building, there is a row of round-arch windows on the second floor. The rectory is shaped like an "L" and is connected to the cathedral by a covered walkway at the back.
Images for kids
-
Mass in the cathedral in 2021
-
Decorative detail on the rectory.
See also
