St. James Cathedral (Orlando, Florida) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. James Cathedral |
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 Location in Florida
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| 28°32′43″N 81°22′43″W / 28.5452°N 81.3787°W | |
| Location | 215 N. Orange Ave. Orlando, Florida |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Completed | January 20, 1952 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,200 |
| Length | 181 feet (55 m) |
| Width | 88 feet (27 m) |
| Height | 83 feet (25 m) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Orlando |
St. James Cathedral is a special church in Orlando, Florida. It is the main church for the Catholic Diocese of Orlando. The head of the diocese, Bishop John Noonan, has his official seat here.
The church is named after James, son of Zebedee, one of Jesus's Twelve Apostles. Saint James is often shown with a scallop shell. This shell is a main symbol for St. James Cathedral. The church also runs a school nearby, St. James Cathedral School. It teaches students from pre-school up to eighth grade.
History of St. James Cathedral
The story of St. James Parish began on May 20, 1881. Bishop John Moore bought land to build the first Catholic church in Orlando. At that time, the Diocese of St. Augustine covered all of Florida.
In 1885, Father Felix P. Swembergh arrived. He helped organize the church members in the area. Orlando was growing very fast then. Between 1880 and 1885, the number of people living there jumped from 200 to over 4,000.
The first church building started construction on January 23, 1887. It was finished in June 1891. This wooden church was about 40 feet (12 m) wide and 70 feet (21 m) long. It could hold 240 people. A belltower, 45 feet (14 m) tall, stood at the entrance.
The parish opened a school in 1928. The school building was finished the same year. It has two stories and was built in the Mediterranean Revival style. It features a bell tower and fancy decorations. This building is now an important part of the Lake Eola Heights Historic District.
The church building you see today started being built in late 1950. It was completed on January 20, 1952. In 1968, the Diocese of Orlando was created. St. Charles Borromeo Church was chosen as the first cathedral. However, it was badly damaged by a fire on October 1, 1976.
Because of the fire, St. James Church became the new cathedral the next year. Bishop Thomas Grady officially made St. James the diocesan cathedral on November 20, 1977. The church was renovated from 1979 to 1985. During this time, a parish life center and a special chapel were added. The main church was also updated.
The cathedral had its most recent major renovation starting in May 2009. Workers restored the stone on the outside of the building. They also updated the inside with new decorations and lighting. New windows were installed to meet modern hurricane safety rules. A new marble altar, a special throne for the tabernacle, and a baptismal font were made in Carrara, Italy. These new pieces matched the new pews. The cathedral's large organ was also repaired and made bigger. A smaller organ in the chapel was also restored.
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View up the nave toward the chancel
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View down the nave toward gallery
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Stained glass window in the nave
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Cathedral School
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See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santiago (Orlando) para niños
