The Basilica of St. Fidelis, commonly known as the Cathedral of the Plains, is a Romanesque-style

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Victoria, Kansas Victoria is a city in Ellis County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,129. History A group of British colonists led by a Scotsman named George Grant founded Victoria in 1873 on land he had purchas ...

, United States. It 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 2014 and is also known as ''The Basilica of the Plains''. The twin towers are 141 feet tall.

History

The church was built between 1908 and 1911. The architect was

John T. Comès John Theodore Comès (January 29, 1873 – April 13, 1922) was a Pittsburgh-based architect best remembered for his many buildings for Roman Catholic communities throughout the United States. Childhood and architectural education He was born ...

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 ...

with modifications and supervision by architect Joseph Marshall of

Topeka Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Un ...

. According to the church history, each member of the church who was 12 or older was asked to give $45, haul six wagon loads of

Fencepost limestone Fencepost limestone, Post Rock limestone, or Stone Post is a stone bed in the Great Plains notable for its historic use as fencing and construction material in north-central Kansas resulting in unique cultural expression. The source of this sto ...

and four loads of sand each year until the church was built. Some families brought as many as 70 to 80 wagonloads of stone. The nickname ''The Cathedral of the Plains'' was bestowed upon the structure by former presidential candidate

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...

after he visited the town in 1912. Its 48 historic stained-glass windows were installed in 1916, by Munich Studios in

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, at a cost of $3,700, and are now valued at more than $1 million. The church was added to the National Register in 1971. In 1994, the church began a series of restoration efforts. The congregation spent more than $265,000 on weatherproofing the exterior, re-plastering and repainting the interior and updating the sound, electrical and heating systems. Work also included installing a marble floor in the sanctuary for $60,000 and replacing old carpeting and linoleum floors in other areas. The parish re-shingled the church roof in 2006 for $137,000. In 2011, it replaced the parking lot and sidewalks for $225,000, and spent $70,000 on repairing the plaster ceilings and walls that had cracked with age. In 2013, an Arkansas company replaced plastic coverings that were installed in the mid-1980s to protect stained glass window from Kansas storms. As it aged, the plastic grew opaque, however the new coverings are tempered glass which will remain clear. After approval by the Vatican in early March 2014, Bishop

Edward Weisenburger Edward Joseph Weisenburger, J.C.L., is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Tucson in Arizona since 2017. He previously served as the bishop of the Diocese of Salina in Kansas from 2012 to ...

of the Diocese of Salina dedicated St. Fidelis Church as a Minor Basilica on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Image:Marker.jpg, Plaque outside the church (1997) File:Victoria Kansas Cathedral of the Plains Front.jpg, Front of the church (1997) Image:Cathedral of the plains Victoria Interior.jpg, Nave of the church (2011) File:Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen Church (Victoria, Kansas) convent 20180915 090603.jpg, Convent next to church (2018)

Capuchins

Since the late 19th century, the faithful and their meeting places in

Ellis County, Kansas Ellis County (county code EL) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 28,934. Its county seat and most populous city is Hays. Ellis County is the official German Capital of Kansas. G ...

, including St. Fidelis Catholic Church, have been overseen by the

Capuchin Order The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM) ...

, a subset of the

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.Theodore McCarrick Still Won’t Confess -- Banished in the dead of night to a mistrustful Kansas town after sexual abuse allegations, the defrocked archbishop of D.C. speaks publicly for the first time since his fall from grace.
Ruth Graham,

Slate.com ''Slate'' is an online magazine that covers current affairs, politics, and culture in the United States. It was created in 1996 by former '' New Republic'' editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. In 20 ...

, 2019-09-03 A three-story building beside the church is a

Friary A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

of the Capuchins, and now houses retired and aging Capuchin priests.

Notable persons

Theodore Edgar McCarrick Theodore Edgar McCarrick (born July 7, 1930) is a laicized American bishop and former cardinal of the Catholic Church. Ordained a priest in 1958, he became an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1977, then became Bishop of Metuch ...

laicized In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the loss of clerical state (commonly referred to as laicization, dismissal, defrocking, and degradation) is the removal of a bishop, priest, or deacon from the status of being a member of the clergy. The t ...

former

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

and

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. In January 2020, it was announced that McCarrick had moved to an undisclosed location.

References

External links

St. Fidelis Catholic Church

National Register of Historic Places nomination for St. Fidelis Catholic Church

Historic photo of St. Fedalis Ceminery

Victoria City Map
KDOT {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Fidelis Catholic Church Churches in Ellis County, Kansas Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Kansas Roman Catholic churches completed in 1911 Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina Romanesque Revival church buildings in Kansas Fidelis National Register of Historic Places in Ellis County, Kansas 1911 establishments in Kansas 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States

History

Capuchins

Notable persons

References

Further reading

External links