The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral, is 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 denominatio ...

of the

Roman 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 ...

located in the

Central West End The Central West End is a neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri, stretching from Midtown's western edge to Union Boulevard and bordering on Forest Park with its outstanding array of free cultural institutions. It includes the Cathedral Basilica of ...

neighborhood of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. Completed in 1914, it is the mother church of the

Archdiocese of St. Louis The Archdiocese of St. Louis ( la, Archidiœcesis Sancti Ludovici) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church that covers the City of St. Louis and the Missouri counties of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Perr ...

and the seat of its archbishop, currently

Mitchell T. Rozanski Mitchell Thomas Rozanski (born August 6, 1958) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri since 2020. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese ...

. The cathedral is named for Saint Louis and was designated a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...

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 ...

in 1997. The cathedral was built as a replacement for the previous Saint Louis Cathedral, now the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, located along the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

. Although workers began clearing ground for the building on May 1, 1907, dedication of the cathedral and its first Mass did not take place until October 18, 1914, when the superstructure was complete.Federal Writers' Project, p. 321 Consecration of the church took place more than a decade later on June 29, 1926. The church is known for its large

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

installation (which is one of the largest in the Western Hemisphere), and for its burial crypts.

History

Planning for the cathedral began under the authority of Archbishop

Peter Richard Kenrick Peter Richard Kenrick (August 17, 1806 – March 4, 1896) was Bishop of St. Louis, Missouri, and the first Catholic archbishop west of the Mississippi River. Early life and ordination Peter Richard Kenrick was born in Dublin on August 17, 180 ...

in the 1870s and 1880s, and a fund was created for the construction of the building by Archbishop

John Joseph Kain John Joseph Kain (May 31, 1841 – October 13, 1903) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling in West Virginia from 1875 to 1893 and as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis from ...

.Stevens, p. 1002 A formal organization promoting the new cathedral was created on April 28, 1871, and among the members of the St. Louis Cathedral Building Association were Archbishop Kenrick, Bishop

Patrick John Ryan Patrick John Ryan (February 20, 1831 – February 11, 1911) was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the second Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1884 until his death in 1911. Early life and education Patrick Ryan was born in ...

, and a variety of local businessmen. Initial site selection indicated that the new cathedral would be built on a city block bounded by 22nd and 23rd streets, and by Pine and Chestnut streets, at a location east of the actual construction site. However, the initiative for construction was only begun after the elevation of Archbishop John J. Glennon. The architecture firm of

Barnett, Haynes & Barnett Barnett, Haynes & Barnett was a prominent architectural firm based in St. Louis, Missouri. Their credits include many familiar St. Louis landmarks, especially a number related to the local Catholic church. Their best-known building is pr ...

was selected, and Thomas P. Barnett led the design team for the project. A ceremony was conducted on May 1, 1907, for the groundbreaking of the site, and a formal laying of the building's cornerstone took place on October 18, 1908. By 1914, enough of the building was complete for a dedication ceremony, yet full consecration did not take place until June 29, 1926. Even after consecration, completion of the cathedral's mosaics was not accomplished until 1988. On December 20, 1943, a

Solemn Pontifical Mass A Pontifical High Mass, also called Solemn Pontifical Mass, is a Solemn or High Mass celebrated by a bishop using certain prescribed ceremonies. Although in modern English the word "pontifical" is almost exclusively associated with the pope, an ...

of Requiem was offered for

Butch O'Hare Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry O'Hare (March 13, 1914 – November 26, 1943) was an American naval aviator of the United States Navy, who on February 20, 1942, became the Navy's first fighter ace of the war when he single-handedly attacked a ...

, US Navy fighter pilot and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

winner. The grounds of the cathedral also contain the distinctive circular Chancery Building, circa 1965, designed by the Peruvian-American modernist architect Wenceslaus Sarmiento. Image:Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.JPG, View down the main aisle Image:CathedralSTLBasilicaBell.JPG, Tintinnabulum, a small bell signifying the status of the church as 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 ...

File:All Saints Chapel--L.C. Tiffany.JPG, Ceiling of All Saints Chapel

Mosaics

In 1912, installation of mosaics in the interior began. Completed in 1988, the mosaics collectively contain 41.5 million glass

tesserae A tessera (plural: tesserae, diminutive ''tessella'') is an individual tile, usually formed in the shape of a square, used in creating a mosaic. It is also known as an abaciscus or abaculus. Historical tesserae The oldest known tessera ...

pieces in more than 7,000 colors. Covering , it is the largest mosaic collection in the world outside Russia. STL cathedral mosaic

While the mosaics in the side chapels and sanctuary walls were designed and installed by

Tiffany Studios Tiffany may refer to: People * Tiffany (given name), list of people with this name * Tiffany (surname), list of people with this surname Known mononymously as "Tiffany": * Tiffany Darwish, (born 1971), an American singer, songwriter, actress know ...

, the mosaics in the main cathedral areas were designed by August Oetken. Installation of the mosaics was completed by dozens of artisans, including

Hildreth Meiere Hildreth may refer to: Places *Hildreth, California *Hildreth, Nebraska Hildreth is a village in Franklin County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 378 at the 2010 census. History Hildreth was founded in 1886 when the railroad was ex ...

, Ravenna Mosaic, Inc., and especially the father and son team, Paul and Arno Heuduck, who worked on the mosaic for nearly their entire working lives, and Emil Frei, Inc., of St. Louis. The

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

of the church depicts the life of King Louis IX of France, namesake of the city and church, the rear dome includes mosaics of significant archdiocesan events, while the main dome by Jan Henryk de Rosen depicts Biblical scenes from both the Old Testament and

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

Crypts and museum

The church basement contains a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

dedicated to the mosaics in the church as well as to some of the other artifacts found within the cathedral. Also in the church undercroft is a

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

dedicated to the souls of former leaders of the Archdiocese. Currently, Cardinals John J. Glennon,

Joseph Ritter Joseph Elmer Ritter (July 20, 1892 – June 10, 1967) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri from 1946 until his death in 1967, and was created a cardinal in 1 ...

, and

John Carberry John Joseph Cardinal Carberry (July 31, 1904 – June 17, 1998) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri from 1968 to 1979, and was created a cardinal in 1969. ...

, as well as Archbishop John L. May, are buried in the cathedral's crypt.

''The Angel of Harmony''

In 1999, a 14-foot high, welded stainless steel sculpture by Wiktor Szostalo was installed on the side lawn of the church. The sculpture was a gift from Adelaide Schlafly in memory of her late husband, Daniel Schlafly, a Catholic layman who was dedicated to the cause of racial justice and peace. It features a winged angel with African-American features, standing behind three children with Hispanic, Asian and European features, playing a song of peace on their instruments. The statue's base is of granite and is inscribed with quotations from the New Testament, Pope John Paul II, and

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

The sculpture emphasizes a theme of harmony, peace, and racial justice, according to Auxiliary Bishop Edward Braxton, who suggested the project to Archbishop

Justin Rigali Justin Francis Rigali (born April 19, 1935) is an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the eighth Archbishop of Philadelphia, having previously served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1994 to 2003, and was elevated to the ca ...

The organ

The cathedral has a large organ that was originally built by Geo. Kilgen and Son, Inc., in 1915. Originally, the organ had two four-manual (keyboard) organ consoles, one in the gallery with the organ, and another console behind the sanctuary. In 1946, Kilgen put a new organ into the cathedral. The 1946 organ had 77 ranks of pipes, 14 of which came from the older organ. In 1948, an Echo Organ from Carnegie Hall, New York City was installed in the cathedral. In 1984, the M. P. Moller organ company refurbished the organ. In 1997 the

Wicks Organ Company {{Primary sources, date=December 2016 The Wicks Organ Company is an organ manufacturer in Highland, Illinois in the United States where they build, repair, and restore organs. History The Wicks Organ Company was founded by Adolph Wick, John F. Wick ...

of nearby

Highland, Illinois Highland is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,991 at the 2020 census. Highland began as a Swiss settlement and derived its name from later German immigrants. Highland is a sister city of Sursee in Switzerl ...

, began a restoration project. They added more ranks of pipes, which brought the organ to 96 ranks of pipes. The company also added some digital stops to the organ. A new four-manual organ console replaced the old Kilgen console behind the sanctuary, and the second gallery console was refurbished. Wicks also updated the organ's electronics. In the winter of 2002 the gallery organ was expanded, and a new dome division of pipes was added to the organ. The final step in the project, the replacement of the original gallery console (and a smaller, two-manual console that took its place) with a five-manual console was completed in 2010. The Ragen Organ Console, named for its donor, Professor Brian Abel Ragen, was taken from St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City and completely restored. It is now possible to control every part of the organ from either the gallery console or the moveable sanctuary console. The original Kilgen console was moved into the basement museum, and can be viewed by visitors. The gallery organ is featured on many of Saint Louis's cultural tours.

Gallery

Cardinal John Glennon grave.jpg, Tomb of Cardinal John Glennon in the crypt Cathedral Basilica, St Louis 4022.jpg, West aisle Cathedral Basilica, St Louis 4024.jpg, View of the crossing Mosaic in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.JPG, Southeast

Pendentive In architecture, a pendentive is a constructional device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or of an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to point ...

depicting St.

Isaac Jogues Isaac Jogues, S.J. (10 January 1607 – 18 October 1646) was a French missionary and martyr who traveled and worked among the Iroquois, Huron, and other Native populations in North America. He was the first European to name Lake George, call ...

Cathedral Mosaic-Cabrini.jpg, Southwest Pendentive depicting St.

Frances Xavier Cabrini Frances Xavier Cabrini ( it, Francesca Saverio Cabrini; July 15, 1850 – December 22, 1917), also called Mother Cabrini, was an Italian-American Catholic religious sister. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, ...

New Cathedral--Duchesne.jpg, Northeast Pendentive depicting St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Pentecost mosaic.jpg, Pentecost mosaic in the west transept Easter mosaic.JPG, Easter mosaic in the east transept

Footnotes

References

* * * * *

External links

Official Cathedral SiteRoman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis Official Site

Symmetry at the CathedralCathedral Basilica of Saint Louis: Photo Gallery by The Catholic Photographer
*Regarding the cathedral's pipe organ: *
The Organ Historical Society Database
*
The Wicks Organ Web Site
*
The Wicks Organ Page on the Cathedral's organ
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Louis, Cathedral Basilica of Louis, Cathedral Basilica of Landmarks in Missouri Mosaics Louis, Cathedral Basilica of Museums in St. Louis Byzantine Revival architecture in Missouri Church buildings with domes Religious museums in Missouri Art museums and galleries in Missouri Landmarks of St. Louis 1914 establishments in Missouri Christian organizations established in 1914 Roman Catholic churches completed in 1914 Tourist attractions in St. Louis Central West End, St. Louis Buildings and structures in St. Louis 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States