Saint Anthony Cathedral Basilica in Beaumont, Texas, is the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont. The cathedral was raised to the status of a

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

in 2006.

History

Foundation

St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica's roots go back to 1853 when the Catholic Church sent priests on horseback to minister to the settlers around the port of Beaumont. In 1879, Bishop

Jean-Marie Odin Jean-Marie Odin, C.M., (February 25, 1800 – May 25, 1870) was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans from 1861 to 1870. Odin previously served as the first ...

, C.M., first bishop of the

Diocese of Galveston In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, and Fr. Vital Quinon built St. Louis Church and established the first formal Catholic parish community in Beaumont. St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica is the direct successor to this small limited seating structure and parish community. In 1901, following the Lucas Oil Boom, Bishop Nicolaus Gallagher, third bishop of Galveston, and Fr. William Lee built a new and larger church to take the place of the St. Louis parish church. Bishop Gallagher changed the name of St. Louis parish community to St. Anthony. The cornerstone of St. Anthony Church was blessed in 1903."Beaumont:Saint Anthony Cathedral Basilica", Texas Heritage Commission
/ref> In 1907 Bishop Gallagher dedicated the new brick church. With the inception of the Diocese of Beaumont in 1966, St. Anthony Church was elevated to the rank of a cathedral by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

and Bishop

Vincent Harris Emanuel Vincent Harris (26 June 1876 – 1 August 1971), often known as E. Vincent Harris, was an English architect who designed several important public buildings in traditional styles. Early life He was born in Devonport, Devon, and e ...

was installed as the first Bishop of Beaumont.

Development

The church building has undergone many changes through the leadership of several bishops and pastors. The first major interior restoration took place under Bishop Christopher Byrne, of the Diocese of Galveston, and Monsignor E. A. Kelly in 1937. Stained-glass windows were installed throughout the church and symbolic oil paintings were added behind the altar. In 1972 Bishop Warren Louis Boudreaux, second Bishop of Beaumont, and Monsignor M. F. Enderle began the second major renovation of this sacred site in conformity with renewal of the Sacred Liturgy following the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

. A free-standing altar was introduced facing the people, an appropriate bishop's chair became a permanent fixture in the sanctuary, the art in the sanctuary and throughout the cathedral was renewed, the pews were refinished, kneelers replaced, carpeting installed, and new acoustical and lighting systems added. Extensive landscaping to the grounds was introduced, the exterior was renewed, the copper dome restored and a 2,500-pipe Wicks organ installed. Bishop Bernard J. Ganter, third Bishop of Beaumont, and Monsignor Bennie Patillo undertook the building of a new cathedral center and chapel-office complex that was dedicated in 1991. In 1998, Bishop

Joseph Anthony Galante Joseph Anthony Galante (July 2, 1938 – May 25, 2019) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey from 2004 to 2013. He previously held several positions as a bishop in Tex ...

, fourth Bishop of Beaumont, and Monsignor Jeremiah J. McGrath began extensive repairs of the cathedral. At the beginning of the third millennium, Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, S.V.D., fifth Bishop of Beaumont, and Monsignor McGrath began a major liturgical renovation of the cathedral. On October 17, 2004, Bishop Guillory re-dedicated and consecrated historic Saint Anthony Cathedral.

Minor basilica

On July 11, 2006, Pope

Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

recognized the historical significance of Saint Anthony Cathedral by proclaiming it a minor basilica. Following a year-long diocesan jubilee year celebrating the centenary of Saint Anthony Cathedral, the papal decree, papal ombrellino (basilica umbrella) and papal tintinnabulum (basilica bell) were solemnly installed on October 21, 2007. Saint Anthony Cathedral Basilica's papal ombrellino (basilica umbrella) was blessed by Pope Benedict XVI on May 23, 2007. This half-opened umbrella is constructed of red and gold Belgium silk damask. The heraldic shields of the Holy See; Pope Benedict XVI; Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, S.V.D.; the Diocese of Beaumont; and the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Anthony are embroidered on the papal ombrellino's flaps. Referred to by a wide variety of names, such as ''ombrellino'' and ''basilica pavilion'', umbrellas (fully opened) were once used during papal processions through the streets of Rome to protect the pope from the weather. Today the ombrellino is used as a symbol of a minor basilica's distinct bond to the papacy. The ombrellino stand half-opened in minor basilicas throughout the world as a way of symbolically anticipating the arrival of the pope at a basilica, his "home away from home." The cathedral basilica's papal tintinnabulum (basilica bell) was also blessed by Pope Benedict XVI on June 28, 2006, and was blessed a second time by the pontiff on May 23, 2007. This elaborate bell, cast in Padua, Italy, is housed within a beautiful hand-carved gold gilded wooden Italian stanchion (post) that is decorated with the papal keys and tridendum (papal crown), common symbols of the pope and his pastoral ministry. Also decorating this bell stanchion are three lilies that symbolize St. Anthony's purity, the Gospel book and flame symbolizing the eloquent preaching of St. Anthony, and four wheat stalks symbolizing the charity of St. Anthony, who fed the poor. The papal bell was once used during papal processions in Rome and today is used as a symbol of a minor basilica's definite union with the pope. The basilica holds a relic of

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

, a

zucchetto The zucchetto (, also ,"zucchetto"
(US) and ,

worn and signed by the pope.Crum, Brooke. "Beaumont basilica home to relic from future saint", ''Houston Chronicle'', July 7, 2013
/ref>

Historic recognition

The historic legacy of the cathedral basilica was recognized by the City of Beaumont in 1975 as a heritage site and in 1980 the

Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Historic L ...

named it a

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the U.S. state of Texas. RTHL is a legal designation and the highest honor the st ...

References

Sources

*Castaneda, Carlos Eduado, Our Catholic Heritage in Texas 1519 - 1957, 7 vols ustin, Texas: Von Boeckmann-Jones Company, 1936 - 1958*Cody, John M., History and Symbolism of Saint Anthony Church eaumont, Texas: Saint Anthony Parish, 1943*Giles, Robert C.; researched by Mary Ann Acosta, and Kenny J. Cluse, Changing Time; The Story of the Diocese of Galveston - Houston in Commemoration of its Founding ouston, Texas: Most Reverend John L. Morkovski, S.T.D. 1977*Caperol, Edythe G., History of Saint Anthony's Cathedral and Parish, Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record and Lamar University, Vol. XV eaumont, Texas, 1979*Vanderholt, James F.; Martinez, Carolyn B.; and Gilman, Karen A., The Diocese of Beaumont: The Catholic Story of Southeast Texas eaumont, Texas: The Diocese of Beaumont, 1991*Landregan, Steve, Catholic Texans; Our Family Album trasbourg, France: Editions du Signe, and Dallas, Texas: The Diocese of Dallas, 2003

External links

Official Cathedral SiteRoman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Anthony Cathedral, Beaumont, Texas Buildings and structures in Beaumont, Texas Anthony Cathedral Basilica, Saint Anthony Cathedral Basilica, Saint Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Galveston–Houston Churches in Jefferson County, Texas Church buildings with domes Roman Catholic churches completed in 1907 Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, Texas Historic district contributing properties in Texas 1907 establishments in Texas 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States