St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide Facts for Kids

This page is about St Francis Xavier's Cathedral in Adelaide. For others of the same name, see St. Francis Xavier Cathedral.

Quick facts for kids St Francis Xavier's Cathedral
The cathedral at night
34°55′44″S 138°36′05″E / 34.9290°S 138.6014°E / -34.9290; 138.6014
Location	Adelaide, South Australia
Country	Australia
Denomination	Catholic Church
History
Status	Cathedral
Consecrated	11 July 1858 (Stage 1) 18 April 1926 (Stage 2) 11 July 1996 (Stage 3)
Architecture
Architect(s)	Richard Lambeth, Charles Hansom, Peter Paul Pugin, Lynton Jury
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	17 March 1856
Completed	11 July 1996
Specifications
Height	36 metres (118 ft)
Bells	14
Administration
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Adelaide

The St Francis Xavier's Cathedral is a beautiful and important Catholic building in Adelaide, South Australia. It's called a cathedral because it's the main church for the Archdiocese of Adelaide. The building looks like old churches from Europe, built in a style called Gothic Revival.

Work on the cathedral started a long time ago, with the first stone laid in 1856. The first part of the church was ready in 1858. The tall tower, which is about 36 meters (118 feet) high, took even longer to finish. It began in 1887 but wasn't fully completed until 1996! The cathedral is about 56.5 meters (185 feet) long and 29.5 meters (97 feet) wide.

Building the Cathedral: A Long Journey
Exploring the Cathedral's Features
Cathedral Services
Gallery
See also

Building the Cathedral: A Long Journey

The story of St Francis Xavier's Cathedral began not long after South Australia was first settled. People wanted a place to worship.

Early Days and First Plans

In 1838, just two years after South Australia was officially started, people began planning Catholic religious meetings. The very first Mass (a Catholic church service) in Adelaide happened in a house in 1840.

By 1845, a Catholic primary school was built. This school became the main meeting place for Catholics for a while. In 1851, they planned to build a cathedral and even laid a foundation stone. However, a "gold rush" in Victoria meant many people, including the architect, left Adelaide. This caused money problems, and the building plans stopped.

Starting Construction and Early Extensions

The real start of the cathedral happened on 17 March 1856. A priest named Father Michael Ryan laid the new foundation stone. The first part of the cathedral was officially opened on 11 July 1858.

Soon after, more people moved to Adelaide, and the church needed to be bigger. In January 1859, they started building an extension at the southern end. This included the sanctuary (the main altar area), a side chapel, and a sacristy (where priests prepare). This first extension was finished by November 1860.

As Adelaide grew even more, another extension was needed to fit more people. In November 1886, Bishop Reynolds laid a stone for an extension on the eastern side. This added space for 200 more people, plus new vestries (rooms for clergy) and confessionals. These parts were ready by August 1887. In 1904, electric lights were added, which was very modern for the time!

Completing the Tower and Other Features

The tall bell tower, a key part of the cathedral, took a very long time to build. Its first stone was laid in 1887. However, the lower part of the tower was only built between 1923 and 1926. During this time, the western aisle (a side section of the church) was also made longer. The bigger church was opened in April 1926 by Archbishop Robert Spence.

In 1931, a special octagonal pulpit (a raised platform for preaching) was added. It was made from beautiful Australian blackwood and had detailed carvings. This pulpit was built to remember the Catholic soldiers who died in World War I.

Finally, in 1996, the bell tower was completed by architect Lynton Jury. This was 109 years after it first started! The tower holds 14 bells. One of the bells, called the Murphy Bell, dates back to 1867. Thirteen other bells, used for a special type of bell-ringing called "change ringing," were put in place in 1996. Seven of these bells are very old, from 1881, and used to be in St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney.

The cathedral also faced a challenge in 1954 when it was damaged by an earthquake.

Exploring the Cathedral's Features

St Francis Xavier's Cathedral has many interesting features inside and out.

Statues and Art

At the north-western side of the cathedral, you can see a statue of John the Baptist. It was carved in Tuscany in 1925 and shows a picture of Jesus being baptized.

The lady chapel altar, located at the south-west, is made from white Carrara marble. It has panels that look like lapis lazuli, a beautiful blue stone. This altar was dedicated in 1954. On the western side of the cathedral, there are bronze statues of Joseph and Jesus, showing their flight into Egypt.

At the front of the cathedral, on the southern end, there are special windows called lancet windows. These windows show pictures of St Patrick and St Lawrence, as well as scenes from the lives of Mary and Jesus. On the eastern side, there is a statue of St Patrick, who is an important saint for the Archdiocese of Adelaide. You can also see Celtic symbols around him.

Musical Organs

Over its history, the cathedral has had three different organs. The first one was installed in 1869. It was replaced in 1926 by a new one, which was then rebuilt in 1954.

The Bells

The cathedral's bells are rung by a group of people who are part of The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. They practice a special way of ringing the bells together.

Cathedral Services

The cathedral is open every day from morning until evening. Mass is celebrated three times a day. The cathedral also has a choir that sings during services.