St. Laurence Catholic Church (Amarillo, Texas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Laurence Catholic Church |
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 Location in Texas
Location in the United States
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| 35°14′08″N 101°47′24″W / 35.2355°N 101.79°W | |
| Location | 2300 N. Spring St. Amarillo, Texas |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Dedication | Saint Lawrence |
| Dedicated | December 2, 1959 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Paul Deeley (1975 renovation) |
| Style | Modern |
| Completed | 1959 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 500 |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Amarillo |
St. Laurence Catholic Church is a special church in Amarillo, Texas, USA. It belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Amarillo. For many years, from 1975 to 2011, it was known as St. Laurence Cathedral. A cathedral is the main church for a bishop in a diocese. Now, it is a regular parish church again.
Contents
History of St. Laurence Church
Early Beginnings and School Opening
The story of St. Laurence began on June 12, 1949. Public church services, called Masses, started at St. Lucien’s Chapel. This chapel was located at Price College in Northeast Amarillo. Over 40 people came to the very first Mass. These services helped lead to the creation of St. Laurence Parish in 1955.
Interestingly, St. Laurence School started even before the church parish. On April 18, 1954, construction began for a three-room school building. The school opened its doors in September of that same year. It welcomed 71 students across two different grades.
Founding the Parish and Building the Church
The St. Laurence Parish officially began on May 16, 1955. The Rev. Leroy Matthiesen was chosen as its first pastor. Before their own church was built, the parish members met at St. Lucien’s Chapel.
To build their own church, the community started a fundraising effort. They aimed to collect $100,000 and successfully reached their goal. Construction for a new building began in early 1959. This building was planned to be a temporary church. Bishop John L. Morkovsky officially dedicated the new church on December 2, 1959.
Growth and Challenges
Throughout the 1960s, the St. Laurence Parish continued to grow. However, it faced a big challenge in 1968. The Amarillo Air Force Base closed down, which greatly affected the community. The parish lost about 600 families. Enrollment at the school also went down, and costs increased. Despite these difficulties, the church remained strong. Many families and retired military members stayed and supported it.
Becoming a Cathedral
By the early 1970s, another church, Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Amarillo, had very few families left. It was decided that this church would close. St. Laurence Church was the largest church in town, with space for 500 people. It was also located on land owned by the diocese. This land included the bishop's office, his home, Alamo Catholic High School, and St. Francis Convent.
On November 10, 1974, Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco announced an important decision from the Holy See (the central government of the Catholic Church). St. Laurence Church was named the new cathedral for the diocese. Instead of building a brand new cathedral, they decided to update the existing church building.
Renovation and Reversion
An architect named Paul Deeley from Fort Worth and an artist named Andrea Bacigalupa from Santa Fe, New Mexico worked together. They created a new and beautiful worship space inside the old church. The old church pews (benches) were given to other churches. The newly renovated church was officially consecrated as St. Laurence Cathedral on October 5, 1975.
Years later, on March 25, 2011, St. Mary’s Church in Amarillo became the third cathedral for the Amarillo Diocese. This decision was made by Pope Benedict XVI. St. Mary's had just dedicated a new church building on September 11, 2010. After this, St. Laurence went back to being a regular parish church.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Lorenzo (Amarillo, Texas) para niños
