The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, head church of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese 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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, stands on 18th Street on the east side of Logan Square, at the

Benjamin Franklin Parkway Benjamin Franklin Parkway, commonly abbreviated to Ben Franklin Parkway and colloquially called the Parkway, is a boulevard that runs through the cultural heart of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city as of 2020. The parkway is named ...

. It was designed by

Napoleon LeBrun Napoleon Eugene Charles Henry LeBrun (January 2, 1821 – July 9, 1901) was an American architect. He began his career in Philadelphia designing churches and theatres including St. Augustine's Church, the Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Pa ...

to plans by the Reverend Mariano Muller and the Reverend John Tornatore and built between 1846 and 1864. Its dome and Palladian facade, by

John Notman John Notman (July 22, 1803 March 3, 1865) was a Scottish-born American architect and landscape architect based in Philadelphia. He designed buildings, cemeteries, churches and country estates in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and h ...

, were added after 1850., p.52 The interior was decorated by

Constantino Brumidi Constantino Brumidi (26 July 1805 – 19 February 1880) was a Greek-Italian painter and a Naturalization, naturalized American citizen, best known and honored for his fresco work, ''The Apotheosis of Washington, Apotheosis of Washington'', in the ...

. The largest Catholic church in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, the cathedral was listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1971. It has been the site of two Papal Masses, one celebrated by

John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

in 1979, the other by

Francis Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie2 ...

in 2015. The current rector is the Reverend Gerald Dennis Gill; the current archbishop of Philadelphia is Nelson J. Perez.

History

On the Feast of Saints

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

and

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

, June 29, 1846, Bishop Kenrick, then Bishop of Philadelphia, issued a pastoral letter announcing his determination to build a cathedral. Philadelphia had two cathedrals before Saints Peter and Paul. The first Catholic church in Philadelphia was Saint Joseph's, which was built in 1733. As the Catholic Church grew, a new church called Saint Mary's was built in 1763; it became Philadelphia's first cathedral in 1810. As the Catholic Church continued to grow, Saint John the Evangelist was made the cathedral in 1838 when a larger church was needed. Saint John's remained the cathedral until Bishop Kenrick began work on the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. The sale of burial lots at

Cathedral Cemetery Cathedral Cemetery, also known as Old Cathedral Cemetery, is a historic Catholic cemetery established by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1849 in the Mill Creek neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was ...

and New Cathedral Cemetery were used to help fund the building of the Basilica. It was the bishop's intention to avoid running into debt, so the cathedral was long in building. He chose for the site a plot of ground adjoining the seminary at Eighteenth and Race Streets. Construction on the cathedral began shortly after the bishop's pastoral letter in 1846 but was not completed until 1864. The construction began less than 2 years after the

Philadelphia Nativist Riots The Philadelphia nativist riots (also known as the Philadelphia Prayer Riots, the Bible Riots and the Native American Riots) were a series of riots that took place on May 68 and July 67, 1844, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and the a ...

of 1844, which represented the height of

Anti-Catholicism Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics and opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and its adherents. Scholars have identified four categories of anti-Catholicism: constitutional-national, theological, popular and socio-cul ...

and Know-Nothingism in

and, according to local lore, greatly influenced the design of the building. The cathedral was built with only very high

clerestory A clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French ''cler estor'') is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, a ''clerestory' ...

windows that according to parish histories would inhibit vandalism. In order to protect the windows of the Cathedral Basilica from possible future riots, the builders would throw stones into the air to determine the height of where the windows would be placed. In 2017, the shrine of

Saint Katharine Drexel Katharine Drexel, SBS (born Catherine Mary Drexel; November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955) was an American Catholic religious sister, and educator. In 1891, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious congregation serving Black a ...

was relocated to the cathedral after its former home, St. Elizabeth's Convent, was closed and sold off by the

Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS) are a Catholic order of religious sisters in the United States. They were founded in 1891 by Katharine Drexel as the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. During her life, Sai ...

Building

With its grand façade, vaulted dome, ornate main altar, eight side chapels and main

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

that comfortably holds 2,000 worshippers, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is the largest brownstone structure and one of the most architecturally notable structures in the city of

. The cathedral, presented in a

Roman 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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

Corinthian style The Corinthian order (, ''Korinthiakós rythmós''; ) is the last developed and most ornate of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order, which was the earliest, ...

of architecture, is modeled after the Lombard Church of St. Charles (San Carlo al Corso) in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. Its Palladian façade and aqua oxidized-copper dome are in the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...

manner, as is the spacious interior, which features an oversized

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

of stained glass and red antique marble in proportions reminiscent of Roman churches. A

baldachin A baldachin, or baldaquin (from ), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent Architecture, architectural feature, particularly over Alta ...

(canopy) over the main altar and the three altars on each of the side aisles point up this Italian Renaissance flavor. In the bowels of the building is the compact "Crypt of the Bishops".

Architects and designers

The basilica was designed by

based on plans drawn up by the Reverend Mariano Muller and the Reverend John B. Tornatore, and by

who added the dome and facade. LeBrun supervised the project from 1846 to 1851, when Notman took over until 1857, after which the cathedral was completed under LeBrun's supervision., p.111 LeBrun was a native Philadelphian born to French-Catholic parents. He designed numerous churches throughout Philadelphia, including St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Twentieth Street in 1841; the Seventh

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...

in 1842; the Scot's Presbyterian Church in 1843; the Catholic Church of St. Peter the Apostle (German), Fifth Street in 1843; and the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Holy Nativity in 1844, which ios no longer standing. Other notable buildings he designed include the

Philadelphia Academy of Music The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at 240 S. Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Despite its name, the Academy has never contained a music school. It is located be ...

on South Broad Street. Notman is noted for his Philadelphia ecclesiastical architecture for the

Protestant Episcopal Church The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

, including St. Mark's Church on

Locust Street Locust Street is a major historic street in Center City Philadelphia. The street is the location of several prominent Philadelphia-based buildings, historic sights, and high-rise residential locations. It is an east–west street throughout Ce ...

in 1850; St. Clement's Church on 20th Street in 1857; and the Church of the Holy Trinity on

Rittenhouse Square Rittenhouse Square is a public park in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is the center of the eponymous Rittenhouse neighborhood. The square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas ...

. He also designed the

Athenaeum of Philadelphia The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, located at 219 S. 6th Street between St. James Place and Locust Street in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a special collections library and museum founded in 1814. The Athenaeum's purpo ...

and parts of the

New Jersey State House The New Jersey State House is the capitol building of the U.S. state of New Jersey and is the third-oldest state house in continuous legislative use in the United States. Located in the state capital of Trenton, in Mercer County, it was origin ...

painted the ceiling mural in the dome, ''The Assumption of the Virgin into Heaven'' in 1868, and the round portraits of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John on its

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 ...

s. Brumidi was a Greek/Italian-American painter, known for his murals in the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

in Washington, D.C., including ''

The Apotheosis of Washington ''The Apotheosis of Washington'' is the fresco painted by Greek- Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the oculus of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The fresco i ...

'' in the dome of the

rotunda A rotunda () is any roofed building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome. It may also refer to a round room within a building (an example being the one below the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.). ...

. Architect Henry D. Dagit renovated the cathedral interior, 1914–1915, adding the apse behind the High Altar. D'Ascenzo Studios executed the apse's stained glass windows and mosaic murals. In 1915, four bronze statues of

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

, and

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

were added in niches on the building's main facade.

Ordinaries of Philadelphia

Altar of Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul decorated for Christmas

Church organ at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

Under the main altar of the cathedral is a crypt with the remains of most of the bishops and archbishops, and of several other clergymen, of Philadelphia. The crypt can be reached by stairs behind the main altar. The crypt is the final resting place of: *

Michael Francis Egan Michael Francis Egan (September 29, 1761 – July 22, 1814) was an Irish American Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Philadelphia from 1808 until his death. Egan was born in Ireland in 1761 and joined the Franciscan Order at a youn ...

, O.S.F., first bishop of Philadelphia, consecrated October 28, 1810, died 1814 *

Henry Conwell Henry Conwell ( – 22 April 1842) was an Irish-born Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Philadelphia from 1820 until his death. He became a priest in 1776 and served in that capacity in Ireland for more than four decades. After the P ...

, second bishop of Philadelphia, consecrated 1820, died April 22, 1842 *

James Frederick Wood James Frederick Bryan Wood (April 27, 1813 – June 20, 1883) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fifth Bishop and first Archbishop of Philadelphia, serving between 1860 and his death in 1883. Early life James Wood ...

, fifth bishop and first archbishop of Philadelphia, died June 20, 1882 *

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

, sixth bishop and second archbishop of Philadelphia, died February 3, 1911 * Edmond Prendergast, seventh bishop and third archbishop of Philadelphia, died February 26, 1918 *

Dennis Joseph Dougherty Dennis Joseph Dougherty (August 16, 1865 – May 31, 1951) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1918 until his death in 1951. He was made a cardinal in 1921. He was Philadelphia's longest-serving arc ...

, eighth bishop, fourth archbishop of Philadelphia, and first to be elevated to cardinal, died May 31, 1951 *

John Krol John Joseph Krol (October 26, 1910 – March 3, 1996) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1961 to 1988, having previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland (1953–19 ...

, tenth bishop, sixth archbishop of Philadelphia, and third to be elevated to cardinal, died March 3, 1996 * Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua, eleventh bishop, seventh archbishop of Philadelphia, and fourth to be elevated to cardinal, died January 31, 2012

Other entombments

Katharine Drexel Katharine Drexel, SBS (born Catherine Mary Drexel; November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955) was an American Catholic religious sister, and educator. In 1891, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious congregation serving Black ...

, Catholic Saint, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament Founder, 1858–1955 (buried at St. Elizabeth's Convent and relocated to the cathedral in 2017) * Francis Patrick O'Neill, pastor of St. James, Philadelphia, 1843–1882, died 1882 * Maurice Walsh, pastor of St. Paul's Philadelphia, 1832–1888, died 1888 * James Corcoran, professor at Saint Charles Seminary, died 1889 * James J. Carroll, bishop, died 1913 * Francis J. Clark, bishop, died 1918 * Cletus Joseph Benjamin, bishop, died May 15, 1961 * Gerald P. O'Hara, bishop, died July 16, 1963 * Francis Brennan, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, the first American to receive an appointment to the

Roman Curia The Roman Curia () comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use ...

, died July 2, 1968 *

Gerald Vincent McDevitt Gerald Vincent McDevitt (February 23, 1917 – September 29, 1980) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1962 until his death in 1980. Biography Gerald ...

, bishop, died September 29, 1980 *

John Patrick Foley John Patrick Foley (November 11, 1935 – December 11, 2011) was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. From 2007 until 2011, he was Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, an order of knighthood u ...

, president of the

Pontifical Council for Social Communications The Pontifical Council for Social Communications () was a dicastery of the Roman Curia that was suppressed in March 2016 and merged into the Secretariat for Communication (now the Dicastery for Communication). According to '' Pastor bonus'', Po ...

, seventh Philadelphia priest to be elevated to cardinal, died December 11, 2011 *

Martin Nicholas Lohmuller Martin Nicholas Lohmuller (August 21, 1919 – January 24, 2017) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia from 1970 to 1994. At the time of his death, he was the oldest American Cath ...

, auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia from 1970 to 1994, died January 24, 2017

References

Notes

External links

Official Cathedral Site

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Official Site

Napoleon LeBrun architect's biography

New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia

WherePhiladelphia.com

Panorama
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