Cathedral of Saint Paul in Pittsburgh
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of Saint Paul (commonly known as Saint Paul Cathedral) is the mother church
of the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, United States
. It should not be confused with St Paul's Cathedral
in the City of London
, England
.
It is the center of spiritual life for some three thousand parishioners and more than three quarter million Catholics in the Diocese of Pittsburgh
.
The first place of public worship for Catholics in the area was in 1754 in the stockyard
of Fort Duquesne
. From the date of the French evacuation of the fort in 1758 until a church was started in 1808 at the corner of Liberty and Washington Streets, there were no resident priests, but mass was occasionally said in private homes by missionaries traveling west. When the Diocese of Pittsburgh was formed in 1843, Saint Paul's Church at the corner of Fifth and Grant Street was consecrated as a Cathedral. Because of declining downtown population and industrial pollution, this site was sold to Henry Clay Frick
. A new Cathedral was opened in 1906 at its present location on Fifth Avenue in the Oakland
neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
The original cost of the building and furnishings was nearly 1.1 million dollars, including $205,000 for the real estate.
Designed by Egan and Prindeville of Chicago and built by Thomas Reilly, a general contractor from Philadelphia
, the new Saint Paul's is an example of the Scholastic, or Decorated, Gothic style of the 14th century. The building rises two hundred and forty seven feet with a statue of Saint Paul
mounted on the center pediment. Other exterior statues depict the apostles and evangelists
of the Eastern and Western Church. While the overall proportions of the structure are not true to the classic cathedrals of Europe, Saint Paul Cathedral fits the site and (as the cathedrals of old,) reflects their spirit and historical significance.
Saint Paul is located near the University of Pittsburgh
, Carnegie Mellon University
, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
.
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It should not be confused with St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
It is the center of spiritual life for some three thousand parishioners and more than three quarter million Catholics in the Diocese of Pittsburgh
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is a Roman Catholic diocese. It was established in Western Pennsylvania on August 11, 1843. The diocese includes 211 parishes in the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, and Washington, an area of with a Catholic population of 719,801...
.
The first place of public worship for Catholics in the area was in 1754 in the stockyard
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
of Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania....
. From the date of the French evacuation of the fort in 1758 until a church was started in 1808 at the corner of Liberty and Washington Streets, there were no resident priests, but mass was occasionally said in private homes by missionaries traveling west. When the Diocese of Pittsburgh was formed in 1843, Saint Paul's Church at the corner of Fifth and Grant Street was consecrated as a Cathedral. Because of declining downtown population and industrial pollution, this site was sold to Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick was an American industrialist, financier, and art patron. He founded the H. C. Frick & Company coke manufacturing company, was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, and played a major role in the formation of the giant U.S. Steel steel manufacturing concern...
. A new Cathedral was opened in 1906 at its present location on Fifth Avenue in the Oakland
Oakland (Pittsburgh)
Oakland is the academic, cultural, and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and is Pennsylvania's third largest "Downtown". Only Center City Philadelphia and Downtown Pittsburgh can claim more economic and social activity than Oakland...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
The original cost of the building and furnishings was nearly 1.1 million dollars, including $205,000 for the real estate.
Designed by Egan and Prindeville of Chicago and built by Thomas Reilly, a general contractor from Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, the new Saint Paul's is an example of the Scholastic, or Decorated, Gothic style of the 14th century. The building rises two hundred and forty seven feet with a statue of Saint Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
mounted on the center pediment. Other exterior statues depict the apostles and evangelists
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
of the Eastern and Western Church. While the overall proportions of the structure are not true to the classic cathedrals of Europe, Saint Paul Cathedral fits the site and (as the cathedrals of old,) reflects their spirit and historical significance.
Saint Paul is located near the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is an $9 billion integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 54,000 employees, 20 hospitals, 4,200 licensed beds, 400 outpatient sites and doctors’ offices, a 1.5 million-member health insurance division, as well as commercial and...
.