St. Mary's Cathedral (Portland, Oregon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary's Cathedral |
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| St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception | |
The cathedral in 2023
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 St. Mary's Cathedral
Location in Portland, Oregon
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| 45°31′26″N 122°41′20″W / 45.5239°N 122.6890°W | |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedicated | February 14, 1926 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Portland in Oregon |
St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a very important church in Portland, Oregon. It is the main church for Roman Catholics in western Oregon, United States.
Contents
History of St. Mary's Cathedral
In 1925, Archbishop Alexander Christie decided to build a new cathedral. Even though he was very sick, people from all over the area helped. The new church opened quickly, on February 14, 1926. The first church services happened a few days later, on February 19, 1926.
Restoring the Cathedral
In 1993, a study was done to plan for restoring the cathedral. A Portland architecture company, Thomas Hacker and Associates, created a detailed plan. This plan also included ideas for long-term improvements around the cathedral. The church was restored in 1996 for the 150th anniversary of the Portland Archdiocese. The restoration made the building stronger against earthquakes. It also updated the electricity, heating, and lighting. Some parts of the church's art and design were also changed.
Art and Design Inside the Cathedral
The cathedral has beautiful art and details.
Special Statues and Windows
- Two marble statues of Mary and the Sacred Heart are against the north walls.
- These statues were carved in Switzerland.
- They were brought to an earlier cathedral by Benedictine monks.
- The glass etching on the front doors (called the Narthex doors) shows symbols of the seven Sacraments.
- The large windows in the transept (the arms of the cross-shaped church) are from the 1870s. They came from two older cathedrals.
- The Archbishop's Chair also came from an earlier cathedral.
Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross are a series of images showing Jesus's last day. These images are original to St. Mary's Cathedral.
Cathedral's Architectural Style
The cathedral was designed by Jacobberger and Smith.
Building Style and Materials
- The building style is from the 20th century, combining Romanesque and Byzantine styles.
- It has a red tiled roof that slopes on two sides (a gable roof).
- There are columns made of cast stone that look like ancient Corinthian columns.
- The church has a square tower with copper decorations at the top.
- The marble floor in the apse (the rounded part behind the altar) was put in place in 1926.
- The newer marble floor in the rest of the cathedral has a pattern made from different types of Italian marble.
- The doors are made of white oak wood with cast bronze on the outside.
- The letters on the granite sign outside are Roman capital letters, like those found on the ancient Trajan column in Rome.
- The coat of arms on the sign belongs to the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.
The Cathedral Bells
The three bells in the tower were made in the late 1880s. They were first placed in an older cathedral at Third and Stark Streets. Until 2017, people had to ring the bells by hand. Then, the bells were fixed and given special motors to ring them automatically. The bells make the sounds of D¹, F¹, and Ab¹.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa María (Portland) para niños
