The Cathedral of Saint Mary ( es, Catedral de Santa María de Miami) (

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: ''Katedral Sen Mari'') is the seat of the

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of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami. The cathedral is named for

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, and is located at 7525 N.W. 2nd Avenue,

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. Since June 2010, Archbishop Thomas Gerard Wenski has served as the archbishop of Miami, Rev. Christopher Marino is the cathedral's rector.

History

Cathedral of Saint Mary - Miami interior 01

Cathedral of Saint Mary - Miami interior 07

In August 1929, under the title of The Little River Mission Club, 14 men and women met in a store on Northeast 79th Street near 2nd Avenue to form a new parish. Bishop Patrick Barry of the St. Augustine Diocese (1922–1940) stated they would need 100 Catholic families for a parish. Three lots were purchased on the northwest corner of Northwest 2nd Avenue and Northwest 75th Street. In April 1930, ground was broken for a church. The first mass was celebrated in a wooden structure on July 20, 1930. Father William Wilkinson, S.J., of Gesu Church was the celebrant and Monsignor William Barry, P.A., pastor of St. Patrick's Church on Miami Beach, preached the homily. In October 1930, Father Patrick Joseph Roche of

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was appointed the first pastor of St. Mary's Parish. The parish area was from 36th Street North to the Broward line and from Biscayne Bay west to the Dade County line. In 1931, a rectory was constructed on the north side of the church. A parish hall was constructed in 1935 on the north side of the rectory. One week before Christmas in 1936, the church was moved to a property that had been purchased on the east side of Northwest 2nd Ave. and 75th Street. The wooden church was then remodeled and enlarged by moving the sanctuary back and adding two wings. Capacity after the remodeling was 600 persons. The first celebration in the renovated church was the Sacrament of Confirmation by Bishop Barry in February 1937. In 1953, Father Roche retired, and Father Patrick J. Donoghue was appointed pastor. The groundbreaking ceremonies for a church were held in 1955. Cardinal Edward Mooney of

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dedicated the church building on January 27, 1957. The church dome was seven stories above the altar. A southwest corner tower was 12 stories tall. The two mahogany doors at the entrance were high. The ceiling over the altar was high. The nave was long, wide, and five stories high with a foot main aisle and two side aisle altars. On August 13, 1958, 16 counties of Southern Florida were detracted from the Diocese of St. Augustine to form the Diocese of Miami. St. Mary's Church was announced by the Vatican as the new Cathedral. On October 7, 1958, Auxiliary Bishop

Coleman F. Carroll Coleman Francis Carroll (February 9, 1905 – July 26, 1977) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop (later archbishop) of Miami from 1958 until his death in 1977. Biography Coleman Carroll was born in Pittsbur ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

was installed as the first bishop of Miami. Shortly thereafter, renovations for the cathedral began and included the addition of a bronze bell weighing more than two tons, and the installation of the cathedral's first

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...

. In 1966, Monsignor David Bushey, the appointed rector, completed work on a rectory with offices and living quarters. A parish hall was built in 1967. On June 13, 1968, Bishop

Coleman Carroll Coleman Francis Carroll (February 9, 1905 – July 26, 1977) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop (later archbishop) of Miami from 1958 until his death in 1977. Biography Coleman Carroll was born in Pittsbur ...

became the first archbishop of Miami and Metropolitan of the newly created province. Final funeral services for

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

were held at St. Mary's Cathedral in 1987.

Schools

The cathedral has a K-8 parish school, Saint Mary's Cathedral School. It opened in 1939. Its initial enrollment was 230. An influx of Cuban Americans came in the 1960s after the Cuban Revolution.

Leadership

Below are lists of individuals who have led the cathedral.

Diocese of Miami archbishops

* Archbishop Coleman Francis Carroll, D.D. (1958–1977) * Archbishop

Edward Anthony McCarthy Edward Anthony McCarthy (April 10, 1918 – June 7, 2005) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of Miami in Florida from 1977 to 1994. He previously served as bishop of the Di ...

, D.D. (1977–1994) * Archbishop

John Clement Favalora John Clement Favalora (born December 5, 1935) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Miami from 1994 to 2010 and as bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana from 1986 to 1989 and as ...

, D.D. (1994–2010) * Archbishop Thomas Gerard Wenski, D.D. (2010–present)

Pastors and rectors

* Monsignor Patrick J. Roche, (1930–1953) * Monsignor Patrick J. Donoghue, (1953–1966) * Monsignor David E. Bushey, (1966–1970) * Monsignor John J. Donnelly, (1971–1980) * Monsignor Gerald T. LaCerra, (1980–1991) * Monsignor Andrew A. Anderson, (1991–1999) * Monsignor Terence E. Hogan, (1999–2012) * Very Rev. Christopher Marino V.F. (2012–present)

References

External links

Official Cathedral Site

St. Mary Cathedral School

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami Official Site
{{Authority control Church buildings with domes Christian organizations established in 1930 Roman Catholic churches completed in 1957 Mary in Miami Roman Catholic churches in Miami Roman Catholic churches in Florida Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami Spanish Revival architecture in Florida 1930 establishments in Florida 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States