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St. Mary Cathedral is a
Before the cathedral was built, St. Mary Church, located north of the present church, was dedicated in Lansing in 1866. However, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Lansing's population grew. The church purchased the land that the present St. Mary's sits on in 1900, and a temporary new church was constructed in 1903. Construction of the permanent new church began in 1911 from a design by Edwyn A. Bowd, and was completed in 1913. The
Michigan Stained Glass Census - St. Mary Cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mary Cathedral, Lansing Mary in Lansing Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing National Register of Historic Places in Lansing, Michigan Gothic Revival church buildings in Michigan Roman Catholic churches completed in 1937 Churches in Lansing, Michigan 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
of the Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in Lansing, Michigan
Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...
one block north of the Michigan State Capitol
The Michigan State Capitol is the building that houses the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the portion of the List of U.S. state capitals, state capital of Lansing, Michigan, Lansing which lies in In ...
. It is the seat of the bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing
The Diocese of Lansing () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory – or diocese – of the Catholic Church located in the south-central portion of Michigan in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of metr ...
.
History
Before the cathedral was built, St. Mary Church, located north of the present church, was dedicated in Lansing in 1866. However, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Lansing's population grew. The church purchased the land that the present St. Mary's sits on in 1900, and a temporary new church was constructed in 1903. Construction of the permanent new church began in 1911 from a design by Edwyn A. Bowd, and was completed in 1913. The stained glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows were made in Munich, Germany
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
and installed in 1923. In 1937, the church became the cathedral for the newly formed Diocese of Lansing.
In January 1938, a serious fire broke out in the rectory and Bishop Joseph H. Albers
Joseph H. Albers D.D. (March 18, 1891 – December 1, 1965) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was titular bishop of Lunda, having been appointed by Pope Pius XI in 1929. Albers became the first bishop of the new Dioc ...
, the survivor of a World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
gas attack, collapsed inside the building before he was rescued by firefighters.
The church has seen four renovations. The first was in the 1920s which added the stained glass windows, Gothic details, and decorative painting behind the altar. The second was in 1954 and removed some of the Gothic details in the sanctuary. Another renovation from 1967 to 1968 removed the communion rail, side altars, and stations of the cross and reconfigured many other elements. The most recent was in 1986 that restored some of the elements removed from the previous renovation.
Description
St. Mary Cathedral is aGothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...
style church constructed in a cruciform shape of rock-face limestone with the water table and other details of smooth-faced limestone. The church sits on a granite foundation, and had a red ceramic tile gable roof. On the main facade is a central, Gothic-arched portal flanked by two smaller portals of similar design. A rose window is recessed above the center entrance. On the corners are large square towers, one taller than the other by the height of the belfry. The towers are set flush with the front wall.
On the interior is a vestibule in front, opening through glass doors into the nave, which measures 108 feet by 63 feet. The nave has terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical bind ...
floors, and a high, vaulted plaster ceiling.
See also
*List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
The Catholic Church in the United States comprises ecclesiastical territories called dioceses, eparchies, and ordinariates led by prelate Ordinary (church officer), ordinaries known as bishops. Each bishop is assigned to a cathedral from which ...
*List of cathedrals in the United States
This is a list of cathedrals in the United States, including both actual cathedrals (seats of bishops in Episcopal polity, episcopal Christian groups, such as Catholic Church, Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy an ...
References
External links
*Michigan Stained Glass Census - St. Mary Cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mary Cathedral, Lansing Mary in Lansing Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing National Register of Historic Places in Lansing, Michigan Gothic Revival church buildings in Michigan Roman Catholic churches completed in 1937 Churches in Lansing, Michigan 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States