The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

, is the primary cathedral of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend 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 ...

, headed by Most Rev. Kevin Carl Rhoades. The parish was established in 1836, making it the oldest in Fort Wayne. The church was erected in 1860.

History

In 1836, Father Louis Mueller was appointed the first resident pastor of the Fort Wayne Territory in the Vincennes Diocese. Mueller began construction on a small log church.LaBarbera, Vince. "Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception marks 150th anniversary of dedication", ''Today's Catholic'', Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, December 1, 2010
/ref> Father Julian Benoit became pastor in 1840. He paid off the debt and purchased the remaining portion of the square, initially for use as a cemetery. In 1849, the German portion of St. Augustine's parish built St. Mary Church (not the present-day St. Mary Church in Fort Wayne), the first German-speaking congregation in Fort Wayne.Alerding, Herman Joseph. ''The Diocese of Fort Wayne, 1857-September 1907'', Fort Wayne, Indiana., Archer Print Company, 1907, p. 202
/ref> The parish rectory was built in 1854. In 1857, the Diocese of Fort Wayne was erected. Bishop

John Luers John Henry Luers (September 29, 1819 – June 29, 1871) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Fort Wayne in Indiana from 1858 until his death in 1871. Biography Early l ...

designated St. Augustine's as his cathedral, while at the same time making plans for a larger, more permanent church. St. Augustine's was destroyed by fire in 1859. The cornerstone for the new cathedral was laid on Trinity Sunday 1859. Rev. Benoit who designed it, named it the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, in honor of the

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

. ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs Benoit was the primary fundraiser, making trips to New Orleans and France. Much of the costs he covered himself. The cathedral was dedicated on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 1860. In 1901, the Bishop's house and chancery was erected; paid for by the sale of a farm in Jasper County.

Architecture

The large sanctuary window of Mary was made in Benoit's home country of France and installed in the summer of 1861. The brass candlesticks with the figures of the Apostles were also from France. The crucifix and altar stone were salvaged from St. Augustine Church. In 1896, the Cathedral underwent a thorough renovation, supervised by Msgr. Joseph H. Brammer. Twelve stained-glass windows from the Royal Bavarian Art Institute, in Munich depict scenes from the Life of Mary. The wood-carved Stations of the Cross are also from Germany.

Burials

* Msgr. Julian Benoit (†January 26, 1885) * Bishop John Henry Luers (†June 29, 1871) * Bishop Joseph Dwenger (†January 22, 1893) * Bishop Herman Joseph Alerding (†December 6, 1924)

Present day

The Cathedral building still stands today, maintained through various renovations over the decades, the most recent by Schenkel and Sons, Inc. The Cathedral grounds, called the Cathedral Square, includes the Chancery of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, MacDougal Chapel, Cathedral Center for C.C.D. classes (formerly the Cathedral Boys School), and the Rectory (the priests' residence), and the grave of the last Miami Indians chief, Joseph Richardville. Recently, the Cathedral Museum housed in the basement of MacDougal Chapel and diocesan offices located in the Cathedral Center were moved to a new location a few blocks north of Cathedral Square. It was listed 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 ...

in 1980.

Current pastoral staff

*Rector - Fr. Jacob D. Runyon *Associate pastors - Fr. Peter Dee De and Fr. Wimal Jayasuria

References

External links

* *
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Official Site

LaBarbera, ''Today's Catholic'', December 1, 2010 -extensive list of renovations

video re stained glass windows

numerous photographs of buildings around Cathedral Square, p. 21 et seq
Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne Religious organizations established in 1836 National Register of Historic Places in Fort Wayne, Indiana Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Culture of Fort Wayne, Indiana Roman Catholic churches in Fort Wayne, Indiana Roman Catholic churches completed in 1859 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States Gothic Revival church buildings in Indiana 1836 establishments in Indiana {{AllenCountyIN-NRHP-stub