St. Cecilia Cathedral (Omaha) facts for kids
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St. Cecilia's Cathedral
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St. Cecilia Cathedral
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| Location | Omaha, Nebraska |
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| Built | 1905 |
| Architect | Thomas Rogers Kimball |
| Architectural style | Spanish Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001442 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 25, 1979 |
St. Cecilia's Cathedral is the main church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha in Nebraska. It is located at 701 North 40th Street in a historic part of the city. When it was finished, it was one of the ten biggest cathedrals in the United States. The cathedral is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an important American landmark.
About the Cathedral
Work on St. Cecilia's Cathedral began in 1905, and it was officially opened for worship in 1959. The building is very large, measuring 255 feet long, 158 feet wide, and 222 feet tall.
A Unique Design
The cathedral was designed by an architect named Thomas Rogers Kimball. He chose a style called Spanish Renaissance Revival. This was different from the popular Gothic style that many churches used at the time, which often featured tall, pointed arches.
Kimball picked the Spanish style because Spain and Mexico had an early influence on this part of America. Hundreds of years ago, the area was part of a church district governed from Santiago de Cuba. The building's walls are made of a special stone called Bedford limestone, and it has a colorful tile roof.
A Missing Painting
In March 2007, a large painting called The Virgin Immaculata was reported missing from the cathedral. The 8-foot by 5-foot artwork was noticed to be gone from its frame one morning. The painting was part of a collection given to the church in 2002 and was valued at around $100,000.
Music at the Cathedral
The cathedral is home to a magnificent pipe organ. It was built by Pasi Organ Builders and first played in 2003. The organ has 55 different sets of pipes, called stops, which are controlled by three keyboards for the hands and one for the feet.
A special feature of this organ is its tuning. Some of its pipes can be played in two different tuning systems: meantone (an older, historical tuning) or a more modern well-tempered tuning. This allows musicians to play music from different time periods just as it would have sounded back then.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa Cecilia (Omaha) para niños
- List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
- List of churches in Omaha, Nebraska
