Christ Church Cathedral, Houston is the
cathedral church for the
Episcopal Diocese of Texas. The congregation was established in 1839, when
Texas was still an independent
republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
.
It is the oldest extant congregation in
Houston and one of the oldest non-
Roman Catholic churches in Texas. Many
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
churches in Houston and the surrounding area were founded as
missions of Christ Church, such as
Trinity Church, Houston
Trinity Church, in Midtown Houston, Texas,There are separate boundaries for the Midtown Super Neighborhood and the Midtown Management District. See City of Houston mapsMidtown Super Neighborhood!--Total Super Neighborhood map here: https://www.h ...
, founded in 1893.
History
Located at 1117 Texas Avenue in
Downtown Houston, the current building dates from 1893.
In 1938 the building suffered a major fire. A
firefighter
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
sprayed down the ornately carved
rood screen
The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...
to prevent its destruction, and it survived with only minor damage.
Everett Titcomb Howard Everett Titcomb (30 June 1884 - 31 December 1968) was an American organist, choir-director and composer.
Biography
Titcomb grew up in Salisbury Mills, Massachusetts as the son of butcher George Howard Titcomb (1844-1928) and Sarah Ella Prim ...
composed the anthem "Behold Now, Praise the Lord" for the rededication and centennial of Christ Church.
Christ Church became the cathedral of the
diocese in 1949.
Presently, Christ Church has a baptized membership of more than 3000 communicants.
Clergy
Christ Church's first rector was the Rev’d Charles Gillett of Connecticut. He led the congregation to build its first church building in 1845.
James P. deWolfe
James Pernette deWolfe (April 7, 1896 – February 6, 1966) was the fourth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island.
Early life
He was born in Kansas City, Kansas where he had a gift for music. Growing up, he attended St. Paul’s churc ...
was the church's rector from 1934 to 1940.
[ He rebuilt the edifice and started many programs before going on to be the Bishop of the ]Episcopal Diocese of Long Island
The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the counties of Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk, which comprise Long Island, New York. It is in Province 2 and ...
.
Cathedral House Episcopal School
The school opened in 1986 on the campus of Christ Church Cathedral with a philosophy grounded in the teachings of Maria Montessori. Classrooms include nursery, movement, toddler, primary and kindergarten.
See also
* List of the Episcopal cathedrals of the United States
* List of cathedrals in the United States
References
External links
*
Cathedral House Episcopal School
{{Religion in Houston
Christ Church Houston
Episcopal churches in Texas
Cathedrals in Houston
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas
Churches in Harris County, Texas
Buildings and structures in Houston
1893 establishments in Texas
Churches completed in 1893
19th-century Episcopal church buildings
National Register of Historic Places in Houston
Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks