St. Francis Xavier Cathedral and Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Cathedral Complex
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Front of the cathedral
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 205 Church St., Vincennes, Indiana |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1826 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000025 |
| Added to NRHP | 17 August 1976 |
The St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, often called "The Old Cathedral," is a very old and important Catholic church in Vincennes, Indiana. It's part of the Diocese of Evansville. The church is named after Francis Xavier, a famous Jesuit leader from the 1500s. You can find it across from the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park.
Jesuit missionaries started the St. Francis Xavier church around 1734. This makes it the oldest Catholic church community in Indiana. Its first records are from 1749. The church building you see today was built in 1826. It's designed in the Greek Revival style.
In 1834, Pope Gregory XVI made St. Francis Xavier a cathedral. This meant it was the main church for the new Diocese of Vincennes. It served as the center of the diocese from 1834 to 1898. Later, in 1970, Pope Paul VI gave it the special title of "minor basilica." This honor is given to very historic churches.
Many important events happened here. Between 1837 and 1882, 75 priests were ordained at St. Francis Xavier. This includes Michael E. Shawe, the first priest ordained in Indiana. The first four Bishops of Vincennes are buried in a special crypt under the church. The basilica was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Contents
A Look at the Cathedral's History
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The story of St. Francis Xavier church is closely linked to the history of the Catholic Church in Indiana. This church has connections to six different Catholic dioceses in North America. These include Quebec, Canada; Baltimore, Maryland; Bardstown, Kentucky; Vincennes, Indiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Evansville, Indiana.
St. Francis Xavier started as an early Jesuit mission in the 1700s. Later, in the 1800s, it became the main church for the Diocese of Vincennes. In 1970, it earned its current status as a basilica.
Early Jesuit Mission (1732–1763)
St. Francis Xavier is the oldest Catholic church community in Indiana. Its beginnings go back to early Jesuit missionaries. They visited the area along the Wabash River as early as 1732. The town of Vincennes was named after a Canadian soldier, François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes. This place became an important French trading post and military fort.
The first priest to live at St. Francis Xavier was Father Sebastian Louis Meurin. He arrived in May 1748. The oldest church record is a marriage from April 21, 1749. The first baptism was recorded on June 25, 1749.
Father Meurin left in 1753. Father Louis Vivier took his place. Father Vivier died in Vincennes in October 1756. The next priest was Father Julian Duvernay. During this time, the number of baptisms and marriages slowly grew. Many of these were Native Americans or enslaved people. After the Treaty of Paris (1763), the Jesuits had to leave the area. Father Duvernay also left Vincennes.
The Parish Church (1763–1834)
Between 1763 and 1785, St. Francis Xavier church did not have a priest living there. During this time, a public official performed baptisms. In 1770, the people of Vincennes asked for a priest. The Bishop of Quebec sent Father Pierre Gibault to visit.
Father Gibault returned to Vincennes during the American Revolutionary War. In 1788, he led the French people of Vincennes in taking an oath to the Americans. This placed Vincennes under the control of Virginia. On February 25, 1779, British General Henry Hamilton surrendered Fort Sackville to Colonel George Rogers Clark at St. Francis Xavier church.
In 1785, Father Gibault came back to Vincennes. He became the first resident priest in over twenty years. He left in 1789, and there were no resident priests again until 1792.
In 1789, Pope Pius VI created the Diocese of Baltimore. This was the first Catholic diocese in the United States. St. Francis Xavier was placed under its care. John Carroll, the first Bishop of Baltimore, sent Father Benedict Joseph Flaget to Vincennes in 1792. Father Flaget started a school at the church. He was called back to Baltimore in 1795.
Father Jean François Rivet replaced Father Flaget. He started a college, which later became Vincennes University. He held classes in the church's rectory. He died in Vincennes in 1804, leaving the church without a priest again.
In 1808, Father Flaget became the first bishop of the Diocese of Bardstown. St. Francis Xavier then came under this new diocese. In 1814, Bishop Flaget was the first Catholic bishop to visit Indiana. Visiting priests continued to serve the church until 1818. In 1825, Father Leo Champomier suggested building a new brick church. This became the St. Francis Xavier Basilica we see today.
Becoming a Cathedral (1834–1898)
On May 6, 1834, Pope Gregory XVI created the Diocese of Vincennes. This was Indiana's first Catholic diocese. St. Francis Xavier became the main church, or cathedral, for this new diocese. It served as the center for all five Bishops of Vincennes.
Father Simon Bruté de Rémur was the first Bishop of Vincennes. He was consecrated in 1834. He died in Vincennes in 1839. Father Célestine de la Hailandière became the second bishop in 1839. He resigned in 1847. During his time, the Illinois part of the diocese became the Diocese of Chicago in 1843.
Rev. John Stephen Bazin became the third Bishop of Vincennes in 1847. He was the first Catholic bishop consecrated in Indiana. Bishop Bazin died in 1848. Father Jacques Maurice de St. Palais was the fourth bishop. He served from 1849 until his death in 1877. In 1857, the northern half of Indiana became the Diocese of Fort Wayne.
Rev. Francis Silas Chatard was the fifth and final Bishop of Vincennes. He was consecrated in 1878. He decided to move the center of the diocese to Indianapolis. Indianapolis was the state capital and the largest city. Between 1837 and 1882, 75 priests were ordained at St. Francis Xavier. In 1898, the diocese officially moved to Indianapolis. Bishop Chatard became its first bishop.
After 1898
St. Francis Xavier remained under the Diocese of Indianapolis until 1944. In that year, Pope Pius XII made the Diocese of Indianapolis an Archdiocese. He also created two new dioceses in Indiana: the Diocese of Evansville and the Diocese of Lafayette. On March 14, 1970, Pope Paul VI raised St. Francis Xavier Cathedral to the status of a basilica.
Cathedral Design and Building
The current Greek Revival-style basilica was built in 1826. This makes it the oldest Catholic church building in Indiana. It stands on or near where two older churches once stood. The first chapel was a simple structure built around 1734. It had log posts, mud walls, and a bark roof. A second log church replaced it in 1785. This church was larger and had a small bell tower. The older chapel was then used as a rectory, or priest's house.
On July 24, 1825, Father Jean Leon Champomier suggested building a new brick church. This became the St. Francis Xavier Basilica. Its first stone was laid on March 30, 1826. A strong storm hit Vincennes in November 1826 and destroyed two walls of the unfinished church. But the church was rebuilt. The first services were held in the new church in the summer of 1827. The inside was not yet finished or decorated.
When Bishop Bruté arrived in 1834, the church was still not complete. Bishop Hailandière, the second bishop, continued the work. In April 1840, the south end of the church collapsed, but it was rebuilt. Bishop Hailandière officially dedicated the cathedral on August 8, 1841.
Later, Father Hugo Peythieu brought fourteen oil paintings from France. These were for the Stations of the Cross.
Cathedral Library
The small brick building known as the Old Cathedral Library was built next to the church in 1840. It was built to hold Bishop Bruté's personal collection of over 5,000 books and documents. His collection became the start of the cathedral's library. This was the first library in Indiana.
In 1968, a grant helped build a new museum and library. This new building houses the collection, which has grown to more than 11,000 rare books. The oldest document is a papal document from Pope John XXII from 1319. It is hand-engraved on parchment.
What the Cathedral Looks Like
The basilica is the main building in a group of buildings. This group also includes a rectory (built 1841), the old library (1840), a library/museum building (1968), and a cemetery.
Outside and Layout
The simple Greek Revival-style basilica is made of reddish-orange brick. Its design is similar to the St. Joseph Cathedral in Bardstown, Kentucky. St. Francis Xavier is 115 feet long and 60 feet wide. Each side has five windows. The front has three entrance doors with a window above each.
In 1834, Bishop Bruté described the unfinished church as a plain brick building. It had no plaster or paint inside. It had a simple wooden altar and a cross. After he arrived, the roof was made stronger, and the inside was plastered. A sacristy (a room for priests to prepare) was added. The sanctuary was later made larger. Its floor was raised to create a space for a burial crypt underneath.
Bishop Hailandière also added a ciborium pulpit, a new main altar with saints' relics, and side altars. Other changes included stone steps at the front, a larger organ gallery, and a new organ. More changes were made in 1908, when new windows and brick supports were added. In 1911, some second-level windows were closed.
A bell tower was added in the 1830s. The bell in the tower is very old, from around 1742. It originally hung in the parish's first church.
Statues of St. Joan of Arc, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Patrick stand in arched spaces on the front of the cathedral. A statue of Father Pierre Gibault is in front of the cathedral. It honors his help to the Americans during the American Revolutionary War.
Inside the Cathedral
Wilhelm Lamprecht (1838–1922) was an artist who studied in Germany. He came to America to paint and decorated churches in New Jersey, Ohio, and Vincennes. Lamprecht painted three large murals for St. Francis Xavier in 1870. One shows the Crucifixion above the main altar. Another shows the Madonna with saints above the Blessed Mother altar. The third shows Saint Francis Xavier, the church's patron saint, above the Saint Joseph altar.
The fourteen oil paintings for the Stations of the Cross came from France around 1883. Their frames were carved locally.
The stained glass windows were made in 1908. They show Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Large Doric columns support the arched ceiling of the basilica. They are made of yellow poplar wood covered in plaster. They are painted to look like marble.
Services and Visiting Information
St. Francis Xavier church is part of the Diocese of Evansville.
As of October 2023, Mass is held on Sunday evenings. It is also held on Tuesday mornings during the school year, Wednesday evenings, and Friday at noon. Reconciliation (confession) is available on Friday mornings and Sunday evenings.
The basilica's library and museum are open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. They are open Monday through Saturday, from 12:30 to 4 p.m. You can also visit by making an appointment.
The Bishops of Vincennes
Five bishops led the Diocese of Vincennes after St. Francis Xavier became a cathedral.
- Simon Bruté de Rémur (1834–1839)
- Célestine de la Hailandière (1839–1847)
- John Stephen Bazin (1847–1848)
- Jacques Maurice de St. Palais (1849–1877)
- Francis Silas Chatard (1878–1918)
The first four Bishops of Vincennes are buried in the crypt under St. Francis Xavier. Bishop Chatard was buried in Indianapolis.
Images for kids
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Front of the cathedral
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The basilica interior
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Francisco Javier (Vincennes) para niños
- List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
- List of cathedrals in the United States
- Oldest churches in the United States
