Cathedral of Saint Eugene 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 denomination ...

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 ...

in the

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

mother church Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral or a metro ...

and seat of the diocesan bishop of the

Diocese of Santa Rosa in California The Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California ( la, Diœcesis Sanctae Rosae in California) is a diocese, or ecclesiastical territory, of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States, named in honor of S ...

. It is located in the City of Santa Rosa. The parish was founded in 1950 and it became a cathedral when the Diocese of Santa Rosa was established by

Saint John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

on January 13, 1962. The cathedral was named for the 7th century Pope Saint Eugene I.

History

The history of St. Eugene's begins over a century before its founding in 1950. In the beginning of the 19th century, newcomers from Mexico, Europe, and the United States began to expand into northern California and into the region of what is now the city of Santa Rosa. Having made contact with the local

Pomo The Pomo are an Indigenous people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point. One small grou ...

peoples,

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

friars from the nearby

Mission San Francisco Solano Mission San Francisco Solano was the 21st, last, and northernmost mission in Alta California. It was named for Saint Francis Solanus. It was the only mission built in Alta California after Mexico gained independence from Spain. The difficulty of ...

in Sonoma established a small adobe asistencia mission at Santa Rosa in 1829. The mission was located on land that is adjacent to where the cathedral now stands and is considered the first permanent building on the Santa Rosa Plain. The mission was abandoned several years after its founding following the

Mexican secularization act of 1833 Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

. However, it was later converted into the home of one of Santa Rosa's founders, Maria Carrillo, in the late 1830s. The ruins of the adobe still stand, although are in a considerable state of disrepair. In 1829, a Spanish

friar by the name of Fr. Juan Amorosa came to the mission from the

Mission San Rafael Arcángel Mission San Rafael Arcángel is a Spanish mission in San Rafael, California. It was founded in 1817 as a medical '' asistencia'' ("sub-mission") of Mission San Francisco de Asís. It was a hospital to treat sick Native Americans, making it Alta ...

to convert the local people to

Catholicism 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 ...

. On August 30, 1829, at a Pomo village near Flat Rock Park at the confluence of Santa Rosa Creek and

Brush Creek A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped durin ...

, he baptized a young girl into the Christian faith. In accordance with tradition, being the day of the Feast of St. Rose of Lima, the young girl took on the name "Rosa," and thus the creek- and later town- were named Santa Rosa. For much of its history, the city of Santa Rosa only hosted a single Catholic parish, St. Rose of Lima, which was founded in 1877. However, around the mid-20th century, as the city began to rapidly expand, there came a need for an additional parish to accommodate this growth. On July 1, 1950, Archbishop John J. Mitty of

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

approved the completion of the new parish for Santa Rosa. St. Eugene's was located in what was at the time the far eastern end of the city, and the parish was still largely rural. The story of how the cathedral got its name is still somewhat unknown. One local story is that the new church was initially planned to be dedicated as "

Our Lady of Fátima Our Lady of Fátima ( pt, Nossa Senhora de Fátima, ); formally known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fátima) is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cov ...

," as suggested by the placement of statues dedicated to her above the cathedral's main door, side altar, and gardens. However, due to a surge in popularity for

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

after the end of World War II, it is suggested that the people of the diocese wished to honor him using his given name (Eugenio) for the new church. Thus, St. Eugene's was founded and ultimately dedicated to the 7th century Pope Saint Eugene I. In 1953, St. Eugene's School was opened to serve the growing number of families in the area. In 1962, the Diocese of Santa Rosa was established and the church was elevated to cathedral status. As of 2021, the cathedral has been the seat of six bishops and five pastors. Today St. Eugene's is home to a large and diverse congregation of over 4,300 members, reflecting the region's global Catholic community with many parishioners being of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, Mexican,

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

, and

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

heritage among many others. The cathedral offers multiple masses throughout the week, including the traditional

Tridentine Mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...

Cathedral grounds

The cathedral grounds cover several acres and are home to a number of buildings, located at the corner of Farmers Lane and Montgomery Drive in Santa Rosa's Montgomery Village neighborhood. The southwest corner of the property is occupied by the Cathedral itself, as well as adjacent parish offices and rectory. Immediately north of the church is the Parish Life Center, home to an adoration chapel, the cathedral's bookstore, and thrift store. The upper part of the grounds are home to St. Eugene's School and the Msgr. Becker Center. The eastern side of the church also has several gardens and statues. The statues and gardens include one dedicated to

, one to

St. Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

, and one depicting

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

comforting an infant. In 2022, a new shrine was built and dedicated to St. Juan Diego and

Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe ( es, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe ( es, Virgen de Guadalupe), is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus associated with a series of five Marian apparitions, which are believed t ...

. Another large statue of

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

stands next to the parking lot near the Msgr. Becker Center.

Stained glass and art

Like many Catholic churches, St. Eugene's has a number of beautiful examples of stained glass. Most of the cathedral's windows were installed with the church's construction in 1950, and were subsequently restored in 2017. Above the cathedral's main door and behind the organ and choir loft is a large window depicting

Christ the King Christ the King is a title of Jesus in Christianity referring to the idea of the Kingdom of God where the Christ is described as seated at the right hand of God. Many Christian denominations consider the kingly office of Christ to be one of ...

enthroned over the world. In the narthex is a window depicting the 1829 baptism of Rose by Fr. Juan Amorosa, commemorating the beginning of

in the region. Along the nave are ten windows depicting the Apostles and various saints. Facing the altar from the main entrance, along the left side of the nave, the windows depict:

St. Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

and

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

; St. James the Great and St. Thomas;

St. Matthew Matthew the Apostle,, shortened to ''Matti'' (whence ar, مَتَّى, Mattā), meaning "Gift of YHWH"; arc, , Mattai; grc-koi, Μαθθαῖος, ''Maththaîos'' or , ''Matthaîos''; cop, ⲙⲁⲧⲑⲉⲟⲥ, Mattheos; la, Matthaeus a ...

and

St. Bartholomew Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو� ...

; and St. Jude and St. Peter. Along the right side of the nave, the windows depict: St. Francis Xavier and

St. Patrick ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

;

St. James the Less James, son of Alphaeus (Greek: Ἰάκωβος, ''Iakōbos''; Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܚܠܦܝ; he, יעקב בן חלפי ''Ya'akov ben Halfai''; cop, ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲁⲗⲫⲉⲟⲥ; ) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jes ...

and St. Matthias; St. Philip and

St. Simon Simon the Zealot (, ) or Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Canaanean (, ; grc-gre, Σίμων ὁ Κανανίτης; cop, ⲥⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲡⲓ-ⲕⲁⲛⲁⲛⲉⲟⲥ; syc, ܫܡܥܘܢ ܩܢܢܝܐ) was one of the most obscure among the apostl ...

; and

St. Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...

and St. John. There are two additional windows depicting the Four Evangelists, with the window above the door to the left of the altar depicting

St. Luke Luke the Evangelist (Latin: '' Lucas''; grc, Λουκᾶς, '' Loukâs''; he, לוקאס, ''Lūqās''; arc, /ܠܘܩܐ לוקא, ''Lūqā’; Ge'ez: ሉቃስ'') is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of t ...

and St. John; and

and St. Mark in the window above the door to the right. There are two smaller windows above the altar that depict the

Sacraments A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the real ...

. From 2014 to 2017, Bishop Robert Vasa sought to beautify the cathedral's interior, which at the time was rather simple and plain. A massive late 19th-century altar was installed after its removal from the abandoned Ascension of Our Lord church in a dilapidated neighborhood in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. The altar, which is made of white marble, has a large mosaic of

giving a sermon to His Apostles, as well as golden angels on its sides. Following its installation, relics belonging to St. Victoris (a martyred soldier) and St. Reparata were sepulchered in the main altar, and relics belonging to St. Fortunatis (a 4th-century martyr) and St. Paulina in the high altar. New side altars were also constructed on both sides of the sanctuary, with the left side being dedicated to

and the right to

. A statue of Jesus showing his

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...

stands to the right of the St Joseph altar. There is also a plaque with a relief of the cathedral's patron and namesake, Pope St. Eugene I, to the left of the main altar. There is a wooden niche with a statue of St. Michael next to the door on the right side of the altar, as well as a wooden niche with a statue of the

Christ Child The Christ Child, also known as Divine Infant, Baby Jesus, Infant Jesus, the Divine Child, Child Jesus, the Holy Child, Santo Niño, and to some as Señor Noemi refers to Jesus Christ from his nativity to age 12. The four canonical gospels, a ...

next to the door on the left. A small shrine with an image of a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

style

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...

and a statue of

can be found in the antechamber through the right altar door. A large painting of

hangs above the door to the right of the altar, as well as a painting of the

Divine Mercy The Divine Mercy is a form of God's compassion, an act of grace based on trust or forgiveness. In Catholicism, it refers specifically to a devotion which had its origin in the apparitions of Jesus Christ reported by Faustina Kowalska. Etymolog ...

. A larger painting of the

also hangs in the rear of the church. A large carved

Crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...

hangs near the left altar door and carved

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

are positioned along the nave. In 2000, a

Holy door A Holy Door ( la, Porta Sancta) is traditionally an entrance portal located within the Papal major basilicas in Rome. The doors are normally sealed by mortar and cement from the inside so that they cannot be opened. They are ceremoniously ope ...

was installed in the rear of the church to commemorate the anniversary of the third Christian millennium.

Parish organizations

Since its founding, St. Eugene's has been home to a number of organizations and parish groups. Spiritual ministries include various

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

study, prayer, and faith formation groups as well as chapters of the

Legion of Mary The Legion of Mary ( la, Legio Mariae, postnominal abbreviation L.O.M.) is an international association of members of the Catholic Church who serve it on a voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, as a Marian movement by the layman and civi ...

and

Sodality of Our Lady The Sodality of Our Lady, also known as the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in Latin, ''Congregationes seu sodalitates B. Mariæ Virginis''), is a Roman Catholic Marian society founded in 1563 by young Belgian Jesuit Jean Leunis (or Jan) a ...

. There is also a chapter of the

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor. Innumerable Catholic parishes have ...

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

, Italian Catholic Federation, and a

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...

troop. The cathedral is also home to a choir and

Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe durin ...

group.

Pastors

To date, St. Eugene's Cathedral has had five pastors: # Msgr. Ervin J. Becker (1950-1969) # Msgr. Gerard Fahey (1970-1981) # Msgr. James Gaffey (1981-2004) # Msgr. James Pulskamp (2004-2012) # Fr. Frank Epperson (2012–present)

References

External links

Official Cathedral Site

Diocese of Santa Rosa in California Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cathedral of Saint Eugene Christian organizations established in 1950 Eugene Churches in Sonoma County, California Modernist architecture in California Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa Buildings and structures in Santa Rosa, California Culture of Santa Rosa, California 1950 establishments in California