- Cathedral of San Fernando
Infobox_nrhp | name =Church of Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria y Guadalupe
nrhp_type =
caption = San Fernando Cathedral is the oldest active cathedral in the United States.
location=San Antonio, Texas
lat_degrees = 29
lat_minutes = 25
lat_seconds = 27
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 98
long_minutes = 29
long_seconds = 39
long_direction = W
locmapin = Texas
area =
built =1728
architect= Giraud,Francis; Dielman,Leo
architecture= Colonial, Gothic, Other
added = February 25, 1975
governing_body = Private
refnum=75001949cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]The Cathedral of San Fernando is a
cathedral of theRoman Catholic Church located inSan Antonio, Texas , in theUnited States . It is themother church of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the seat of itsarchbishop . The cathedral is also known as the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y Guadalupe and is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places . It is notable as the oldest cathedral in the United States.History
The original church of San Fernando was built between 1738 and 1750. The walls of that church today form the sanctuary of the cathedral, which gives rise to its claim as the oldest cathedral in the United States. The church was named for
Ferdinand III of Castile , who ruled in the 13th century. Thebaptismal font , believed to be a gift from Charles III, who became King of Spain from 1759, is the oldest piece of liturgical furnishing in the cathedral.In 1836, the cathedral, still a parish church, played a role in the Battle of the Alamo when Mexican GeneralAntonio López de Santa Anna hoisted a flag of "no quarter " from the church's tower, marking the beginning of the siege.In 1868, the cathedral was considerably enlarged in the Gothic style, the addition forming the existing
nave . The carved stoneStations of the Cross were added in 1874. The strikingstained glass windows were added in 1920.On
September 13 1987 , the cathedral was visited byPope John Paul II , during the only visit of a pope to Texas. A marble stone marker commemorates the event.Today
The cathedral remains at the heart of the
Catholic religious life of San Antonio, and this includes involvement in annual events such as theFiesta Week . Over 5,000 participate at weekend Masses each week of the year. Over 900 baptisms, 100 weddings, 100 funerals, and countless other services and special events are performed each year, most notably in the staging of theGood Friday Passion Play , which attracts thousands of visitors.In February 2006, the cathedral began a year-long celebration recognizing San Antonio’s 275th Anniversary.
Restoration
A restoration project is planned, costing $15 million, which involves several phases:
*Phase One - restoration and stabilization of the cathedral foundation and structure and its enhancement for liturgy and other events.
*Phase Two - replacement of the current rectory with a new Cathedral Centre which will have a small cafeteria, counseling rooms, museum, gift shop, reception room, television control room, and vesting sacristy.
*Phase Three - construction of a community centre to house community and social services, meeting rooms, a hall, church offices, and a residence for the priests.External links
* [http://www.sfcathedral.org/ Official website]
* [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/tx/Bexar/state.html National Register of Historic Places.com]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.