Basilica of St. James (Jamestown, North Dakota)
Encyclopedia
The Basilica of St. James is a parish church in the Catholic Diocese of Fargo
and a Minor Basilica
located in Jamestown, North Dakota
, United States
. It served briefly as a cathedral church
in the 19th century. St. James Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
, OSB on May 13, 1883.
On November 10, 1889 Pope Leo XIII
established the Diocese of Jamestown and St. James became the cathedral church for the new diocese. This distinction was short lived as the See City was transferred to Fargo on April 6, 1897. Bishop John Shanley
was the only bishop to call St. James his cathedral.
Bishop James O'Reilly
consecrated the present church on November 29, 1914. On October 26, 1988 Blessed John Paul II elevated St. James Church to the rank of a minor basilica.
designed the church in the Gothic Revival style. The foundation is rock faced, trimmed granite. The exterior walls are covered in Hebron brick and they are trimmed in Bedford stone
. The building measures 140 feet (42.7 m) long, 50 feet (15.2 m) wide and 42 feet (12.8 m) high. The transept
is 70 feet (21.3 m) wide. The seating capacity of the church is 650 with another 100 able to fit in the choir loft.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo is a Roman Catholic diocese in North Dakota. It was founded on April 6, 1897 by Pope Leo XIII. Fargo, North Dakota is the episcopal see of the diocese.-Bishops of the Diocese of Fargo:...
and a Minor Basilica
Minor basilica
Minor basilica is a title given to some Roman Catholic churches. By canon law no Catholic church can be honoured with the title of basilica unless by apostolic grant or from immemorial custom....
located in Jamestown, North Dakota
Jamestown, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.7 per square mile . There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of 559.6 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It served briefly as a cathedral church
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in the 19th century. St. James Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.
History
Catholics settled in the Jamestown area as early as 1872 but a parish was not established until the late 1870s. The first Catholic church in Jamestown was dedicated by Bishop Martin MartyMartin Marty (bishop)
Bishop Martin Marty, O.S.B. was a Benedictine priest and missionary in America. He was the first Abbot of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, the first Vicar Apostolic of Dakota Territory, and the second Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud...
, OSB on May 13, 1883.
On November 10, 1889 Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
established the Diocese of Jamestown and St. James became the cathedral church for the new diocese. This distinction was short lived as the See City was transferred to Fargo on April 6, 1897. Bishop John Shanley
John Shanley
John Shanley was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Fargo, North Dakota, from 1889 until his death in 1909.-Biography:...
was the only bishop to call St. James his cathedral.
Bishop James O'Reilly
James O'Reilly (bishop)
James O'Reilly was the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Fargo .O'Reilly was born in Ireland and educated at All Hallows College in Dublin, where he was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1882. After coming to the United States, he was attached to the Diocese of St...
consecrated the present church on November 29, 1914. On October 26, 1988 Blessed John Paul II elevated St. James Church to the rank of a minor basilica.
Architecture
George HancockGeorge Hancock (architect)
George Hancock was an architect active in North Dakota, Montana and Minnesota. He moved to the area in 1882, settling in Fargo, North Dakota with his brother Walter when they were 33 and 17, respectively. After a fire destroyed much of Downtown Fargo in 1893, George and Walter designed around half...
designed the church in the Gothic Revival style. The foundation is rock faced, trimmed granite. The exterior walls are covered in Hebron brick and they are trimmed in Bedford stone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
. The building measures 140 feet (42.7 m) long, 50 feet (15.2 m) wide and 42 feet (12.8 m) high. The transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
is 70 feet (21.3 m) wide. The seating capacity of the church is 650 with another 100 able to fit in the choir loft.