St. Matthew Cathedral (South Bend, Indiana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Matthew Cathedral |
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St. Matthew Cathedral in 2023
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| 41°39′24″N 86°14′08″W / 41.6566°N 86.2355°W | |
| Location | 1701 Miami Street South Bend, Indiana |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Modern |
| Groundbreaking | 1959 |
| Completed | 1960 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Fort Wayne-South Bend |
St. Matthew Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in South Bend, Indiana, United States. A cathedral is a very important church. It is where the bishop of a diocese has his special chair, called a "cathedra."
St. Matthew Cathedral is one of two main churches for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The other is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne.
Contents
History of St. Matthew Cathedral
Early Days of St. Matthew Parish
In 1921, a priest named Rev. John DeGroote bought 14 pieces of land in South Bend. The first idea was to build a church and a school together. But this plan was too expensive.
So, Bishop Herman Alerding suggested building a simpler wooden church first. This church would be temporary. Rev. Theodore Hammes became the first pastor, or leader, of the church community.
Twenty-two men volunteered to help build the church. It was built in May 1922 for $10,000. The church building, called a sanctuary, was officially opened on August 13, 1922. It also had a community hall in the basement.
The church quickly became too small for everyone. It could only hold 240 people. In October 1923, the church was made bigger to hold 600 people. In 1924, the church bought six more lots. This land later became the site for a school in 1929.
Growth and New Buildings
From 1942 to 1958, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Victory helped at St. Matthew. They taught religious classes to children. They also helped with other church duties.
In 1954, a new rectory was built. A rectory is where the priests live. The old house was too small. Soon after, in 1959, construction began on the current church building. The old wooden church was taken down. However, its bells were saved to be used in the new church.
St. Matthew Becomes a Cathedral
In 1960, Pope John XXIII made an important change. He changed the name of the Diocese of Fort Wayne to the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
Because of this change, St. Matthew Church was given a new special role. Even though it was still being built, it was named a Co-cathedral for the diocese. This meant it would share the role of the main church with the cathedral in Fort Wayne.
Msgr. Joseph R. Crowley became the pastor of St. Matthew in 1969. In 1971, he was named an auxiliary bishop for the diocese. An auxiliary bishop helps the main bishop. He later returned to St. Matthew as pastor. He was the first of three auxiliary bishops to lead the parish.
In 1989, the church choir was invited to sing at the Vatican in Rome. This was a very special honor. In 1992, the church campus grew again. The Cathedral Center opened, along with a day care center in the old convent building. The day care center later moved to another building bought by the church in 1994.
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, who was pastor from 1997, left in 2002. He became the Bishop of Peoria.
Catholic Schools at St. Matthew
Construction for St. Matthew School started on May 15, 1929. Bishop John F. Noll officially opened the school on October 13, 1929. It cost $167,000 to build.
In its first year, 150 students attended the school. They were in five different grades. The Sisters of St. Joseph taught the students. The school added one new grade each year until 1932.
In 1934, the Brothers of the Holy Cross opened Central Catholic High School. It started with 18 boys on the second floor of the St. Matthew school building. As more students joined, the brothers added more classrooms and sports programs.
Professors from the University of Notre Dame also taught at the high school. The most students Central Catholic High School ever had was 237 boys. However, the school closed in 1951. Three Catholic schools joined together to create St. Joseph High School.
After Central Catholic High School closed, St. Matthew School used the extra space. In 1955, a new gymnasium was added. The older school building was also greatly updated when Bishop Jenky was pastor.
Pastors and Rectors of St. Matthew
A pastor is the priest who leads a parish. After 1960, the pastor of St. Matthew also became known as the cathedral rector. Here are the priests who have served in this role:
- Rev. Theodore Hammes (1921–1933)
- Msgr. Arnold J. Wibbert (1933–1969)
- Bishop Joseph R. Crowley (1969–1991)
- Bishop John R. Sheets, SJ (1991–1997)
- Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C. (1997–2002)
- Msgr. Michael Heintz (2002–2016)
- Rev. Terry Fisher (2016–2023)
- Rev. Andrew Budzinski (2023–present)
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Mateo (South Bend) para niños
