St. James Cathedral (Orlando, Florida) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St. James Cathedral

Location in Florida
28°32′43″N 81°22′43″W / 28.5452°N 81.3787°W / 28.5452; -81.3787
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 an important Catholic church located in Orlando, Florida. It is the main church for the Catholic Diocese of Orlando. The church is led by the Bishop of Orlando, currently John Noonan.

The church is named after Saint James, one of Jesus's twelve closest followers. He is traditionally known as the first follower to die for his beliefs. The scallop shell is a special symbol for Saint James. You can see this symbol used often at the cathedral. St. James Cathedral also has a school nearby, called St. James Cathedral School. It teaches students from pre-school up to eighth grade.

History of St. James Cathedral
Images for kids
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History of St. James Cathedral

St. James in the early 1950s

The story of St. James Parish began a long time ago, on May 20, 1881. On that day, Bishop John Moore bought land to build the first Catholic church in the Orlando area. At that time, the Diocese of St. Augustine covered all of Florida.

The first full-time priest, Father Felix P. Swembergh, arrived in 1885. He helped organize the church community. Between 1880 and 1885, Orlando's population grew a lot, from 200 people to over 4,000.

Building the First Church

The first church building started construction on January 23, 1887. It was finished in June 1891. This church was made of wood and was about 40 ft (12 m) long and 70 ft (21 m) wide. It could hold 240 people. A belltower, about 45 ft (14 m) tall, stood at the entrance.

The Cathedral School

The church opened its school in 1928. The school building has two stories and is built in the Mediterranean Revival style. It has a bell tower and fancy decorations. This building is part of the historic Lake Eola Heights Historic District.

The Current Cathedral Building

The church building you see today started being built in late 1950. It was completed on January 20, 1952.

Later, on June 18, 1968, the Diocese of Orlando was created. St. Charles Borromeo Church was chosen to be the main church, or cathedral, for the new diocese. However, a fire badly damaged St. Charles Borromeo Church 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.

Renovations and Updates

The cathedral has been updated several times. A big renovation happened from 1979 to 1985. During this time, a new parish life center and a special chapel were built. The main cathedral church was also updated.

The most recent major renovation started in May 2009. Workers restored the stone on the outside of the building. They also updated the inside, including new lighting and windows that could withstand hurricanes. A new marble altar, a special seat for the tabernacle, and a baptismal font were made in Carrara, Italy. New pews (church benches) were also added. The cathedral's organ, a musical instrument, was also repaired and made larger.