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Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
(The New Cathedral)

 

DESCRIPTION: The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the "New Cathedral," is the crown jewel of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis. A magnificent structure, the cathedral is Romanesque in style on the exterior and Byzantine on the interior. The building's distinctive green tile dome cuts a majestic silhouette on the Central West End skyline. Two half domes stand beside the main dome, and pointed twin towers flank the center of the front of the church. On the inside, the two center domes, lesser domes and half domes with their arches reveal the story of the Catholic faith from creation to the last judgment.

The church contains the largest mosaic collection in the world. The mosaic artwork was created by 20 different artists, and covers 83,000 square feet. Installation of the 41.5 million pieces of mosaic glass began in 1912 and was completed in 1988, The Mosaic Museum, with displays on the construction of the building and the creation of its mosaics, is on the lower level of the cathedral.

It has been said the Cathedral "possesses a majesty and magnificence unmatched in the American Midwest." In recognition of its beauty and historical significance, the Cathedral was designated a basilica by Pope John Paul II.

ADDRESS: 4431 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108

LOCATION: Central West End neighborhood

PHONE NUMBER: 314-373-8240

WEB SITE: www.cathedralstl.org

GETTING THERE: From Downtown St. Louis, take I-64/40 to Forest Park Parkway. Take the Parkway about .3 mile to Grand Boulevard. Turn right onto Grand and proceed about .3 mile to Lindell Boulevard. Turn left onto Lindell and proceed 1.3 miles to the Cathedral which will be on the right.

HOURS: The church is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tours are available from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 1:00 p.m. on Sundays. The Mosaic Museum and the Cathedral Shop are open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays.

ADMISSION: Free; Mosaic Museum, $1

ANNUAL ATTENDANCE: The Cathedral holds 1,700 people, 3,000 if the upstairs is open.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • The narthex or vestibule of the cathedral is decorated with mosaic panels depicting major events in the life of Saint Louis IX, King of France (1214-1270), patron of the church and the king for which the city is named. The lower wall of buff marble symbolizes the earth. The swirling green vines on the barrel vaulted ceiling symbolizes Christ.
  • The historic bay and dome at the back of the church depict significant people and events in St. Louis history. The seal of the Archdiocese of St Louis with a dark blue background surrounded with stars is the dominant feature. The dome is supported by inverted triangular walls called pendentives. They are covered with mosaics depicting American saints. The soffits also depict milestones in the establishment of the Catholic Church in St. Louis-the first mass, the first baptism, the orders of teachers of St. Louis parochial schools, Jesuit missionary work on the frontier, the work of Joseph Cardinal Ritter in desegregating the local parochial schools and the charity work of the religious communities.
  • The central dome, 143 feet about the floor, symbolizes the power of God's love. Mosaic panels depict the Holy Trinity, Ezekiel, the woman of the Apocalypse and Elias as well as 16 angels, each with a constellation of stars at its feet. The pendentives depict the Old Testament, the New Testament, Ecclesiastical authority and civil authority.
  • The mosaics on the east and west transepts show Jesus' baptism and ascension to heaven, the Holy Spirit's descent on the apostles, the stations of the cross and Christ's resurrection.
  • Mosaics in the sanctuary dome picture the 12 apostles with symbols of their lives, images of doctors or teachers of the church, the priesthood of the Old and New Testaments, Old Testament prototypes of the Sacrifice of Jesus and a portrayal of the Last Supper based on the DaVinci fresco in the Cathedral of Milan, Italy. In the sanctuary is the "cathedra" or bishop's chair that makes the church a "cathedral."
  • Mosaics in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, a place reserved for quiet prayer, depict aspects of the gift of Eucharist.
  • Italian-style mosaics of the coats of arms of bishops and archbishops of the St. Louis diocese adorn the Bishops Hall.
  • Mosaics depicting Mary's presentation, annunciation, visitation to Elizabeth and the Assumption are in the Blessed Virgin's Chapel. The works were created by the Tiffany Company of New York.
  • All Saints Chapel is dedicated to the apostles, confessors, martyrs and virgins who became saints. Cardinal Ritter's cardinal's hat hangs from the ceiling.
  • All Souls Chapel utilizes black and white marble to symbolize death and the resurrection. It is also the burial place of Cardinal Glennon, Cardinal Ritter and Archbishop May, leaders of the St. Louis Church.
  • The Cathedral Choir sings at the 10 a.m. mass and at Archdiocesan celebrations.
  • The Cathedral Schola, made up of select musicians, performs special music for various occasions and sings twice monthly at the 12 p.m. Sunday Mass.
  • The Cantor program trains parish cantors as well as cantors for Archdiocesan events.

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS: Visitors with children can pick up a brochure entitled "A Quest Among the Mosaics of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis." Children can use the list of 20 items in the brochure in a search for the unexpected among the mosaics of the Cathedral. The items include a boy on crutches, a deer, a dolphin and anchor, a globe of the world, a skull and the Statue of Liberty.

ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENTS: Each August, the congregation holds Cathedralfete, a fundraiser with food, booths and other activities. A concert series featuring a variety of orchestras and choirs is held every fall through spring.

HISTORY: The idea of a "new cathedral" was proposed by Archbishop John J. Kain in 1896. In his "The Great St. Louis Cathedral," William Barnaby Faherty, S. J., says that Archbishop Kain wrote that while the Old Cathedral was a grand structure when it was built three-quarters of a century earlier, St. Louis "should have another-more handsome and more worthy of the great Catholic city of the West."

The Archbishop bought property on the northwest corner of Lindell and Newstead and appointed Monsignor James McCaffery pastor. McCaffery built a temporary chapel at the rear of the site facing Newstead. A tornado which ripped through St. Louis in 1896 drained the diocese's funds stalling the project, but John J. Glennon who succeeded Kain revived the idea of a new cathedral and launched a crusade of sorts to have it built. When the Archbishop of Baltimore came to St. Louis a few months later to install Father Glennon as Archbishop, it is said the visiting church dignitaries had a hard time finding the Old Cathedral hidden among the warehouses and brokerage buildings in the area of what is now the Gateway Arch grounds. After the ceremony, the priests gave the new archbishop $60,000 for the cathedral project and 32 laymen pledged $260,000 to the project.

A St. Louis firm, Barnett, Haynes and Barnett, was chosen to design the building. One member of the firm, George Barnett, son of another distinguished St. Louis architect, had designed the Palace of Liberal Arts for the St. Louis World's Fair just two years earlier. Ground was broken on May 1, 1907 and the cornerstone was laid October 18, 1908. As work progressed on the superstructure, Tiffany and Company of New York undertook in 1912 the two chapels on the west corners of the building. That was the same year installation of the mosaics on the inside of the church began. When the superstructure was completed in 1914, the first mass was celebrated on October 18, the sixth anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone. On November 2, 1916 the Archbishop presided at the first Solemn Mass on the high altar and the first mass on the high altar was said one day before the United States declared war on Germany in 1917. The centennial of the creation of the Saint Louis Diocese, June 29, 1926, was selected as the day for the consecration of the cathedral. More than 100,000 people lined the streets as the prelates moved to the Cathedral for the procession of the Blessed Sacrament. Installation of the mosaics continues through the years and was not completed until 1988 - eighty years after the cornerstone was laid.

GIFT SHOP: The Cathedral's gift shop includes a selection of religious items, candles, books, toys, puzzles and postcards.

WHERE TO GET LUNCH: There are many restaurants and sidewalk cafes in the neighborhood - the Central West End.

WHAT'S NEARBY: Nearby is Forest Park with a variety of activities including St. Louis' four major free attractions-the world-famous St. Louis Zoo, the Art Museum, the Science Center and the Missouri History Museum.

PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: Ann Richardson, 314-373-8240, annr@cathedralstl.org

 

Readers should call 1-800-916-0040 to request a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitor Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis at www.explorestlouis.com