The Cathedral of Saint Joseph is a

Catholic 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 ...

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 denomination ...

and

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, ...

located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is the seat of the Diocese of Sioux Falls. Since 1974 the cathedral has been a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

in the Cathedral Historic District on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

.The Cathedral Historic District was originally called the Sioux Falls Historic District.

History

The Cathedral of St. Joseph traces its history to the establishment of St. Michael's Church, Sioux Falls' first Catholic parish. It was founded in 1881 and a wooden building was constructed for a church. Two years later a larger brick church was built. It became the Pro-Cathedral when Bishop Martin Marty, who was Vicar Apostolic of the Dakota Territory, arrived in Sioux Falls in 1889. On November 12, of the same year

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

established the Diocese of Sioux Falls, and St. Michael's become the cathedral for the new diocese. Bishop

Thomas O'Gorman Thomas O'Gorman (May 1, 1843 – September 18, 1921) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Sioux Falls from 1896 until his death in 1921. Biography Thomas O'Gorman was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to John a ...

succeeded Bishop Marty in 1896 and in time desired a new and larger cathedral. He was a friend of Archbishop John Ireland of St. Paul and he attended the dedication of the Cathedral of St. Paul in 1915. He conferred with the architect of the new St. Paul cathedral

Emmanuel Masqueray Emmanuel Louis Masqueray (1861–1917) was a Franco-American preeminent figure in the history of American architecture, both as a gifted designer of landmark buildings and as an influential teacher of the profession of architecture dedicated t ...

, who was hired to design the present cathedral in Sioux Falls. St. Michael's was moved and the

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

was torn down. Construction of the new cathedral was begun in 1915. Masqueray died in 1917 and shortages during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

slowed construction. Edwin Lundie, Masqueray's chief assistant, took over the project. The first Mass in the unfinished cathedral took place on December 8, 1918, and it was dedicated after its completion on May 7, 1919. The structure has been altered over the years. A

Kilgen Kilgen was a prominent American builder of organs which was in business from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. History The Kilgen family The Kilgen family's history of organ making supposedly dates to the 17th century, when Sebastian Kilgen, ...

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 ...

was installed in 1935. A fire in the lower church did significant damage to the cathedral in 1942. Conrad Schmitt Studios decorated the interior the following year, and the marble

high altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...

and tester were installed in 1946. The frosted glass windows were replaced by French stenciled

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows in 1947. A major interior restoration took place between 1970 and 1974. A new free-standing altar was installed at that time. In 2004 the Sacred Heart Chapel was created in the sacristy and the basement was renovated to become a parish hall. Another major renovation of the cathedral interior was completed in 2011.

References

External links

Official Cathedral SiteDiocese of Sioux Falls Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Joseph Cathedral, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls Christian organizations established in 1915 Roman Catholic churches completed in 1919

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up t ...

Renaissance Revival architecture in South Dakota Tourist attractions in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Churches in Minnehaha County, South Dakota National Register of Historic Places in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Historic district contributing properties in South Dakota Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in South Dakota 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States 1919 establishments in South Dakota

History

See also

References

External links