Cathedral of the Holy Angels (Gary, Indiana)
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of the Holy Angels is a Catholic cathedral
located in Gary, Indiana
, United States
. It is the seat of the Diocese of Gary
.
. It was the first Catholic parish founded in the city of Gary. The initial Masses in the parish were celebrated in a tavern at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway. The first parish building was a combination church and school. The parishioners were mostly Eastern European, Irish, German and Italian
Holy Angels School opened in 1909 with the School Sisters of Notre Dame
as the faculty. The parish grew slowly and by the 1940s there was a need for a larger church building. The Rev. John A. Sullivan was the pastor when the present church was built in the Gothic Revival style. The cornerstone
was laid on October 26, 1947 and it was dedicated on January 29, 1950 by Bishop John F. Noll
.
When Pope Pius XII
established the Diocese of Gary on December 10, 1956, Holy Angels Church became the cathedral of the new diocese.
In the 1960s the primarily Caucasian parish began to change as African American and Latin American parishioners joined Holy Angels when St. Anthony’s and Sacred Heart Churches closed. The school building and convent
were torn down in 1965 when a new two-story facility was built for $1.2 million. The building contained school classrooms, a convent, gymnasium, cafeteria and space for a parish hall. On June 7, 1994 the name of the school was changed to the Sister Thea Bowman
School. It is now a charter school named the Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
.
. The pool is made of travertine
marble and the four pillars at the base are from the old high altar. The base and the top of the ambry, where the holy oils
are kept, is the former baptismal font. The upper section is made from black walnut.
The altar is constructed of marble and is roughly square in shape. In the floor surrounding the altar are angels in mosaic
. They are shown as the diversity of the human race and in the diocese itself: African, Caucasian, Asian and Latin. In the apse
of the cathedral is the reredos
from the old high altar with a Calvary grouping. The cathedra
, or bishop’s chair, sits in the presbytery
in front of the old reredos. It is carved from black walnut and installed in 1996. A carved angel stands next to the chair. The ambo
is constructed of the same materials of the altar and the reredos.
The tabernacle
is located in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. A cross is formed behind the tabernacle by four carved angels in adoration. The shrine of the Holy Angels is in the east transept. It includes an icon of the Synaxis of the Holy Angels, which was done in an Ethiopian
-Coptic
style. The shrine is dedicated to deceased parishioners and priests of the diocese. Bishop Andrew Gregory Grutka
, the first bishop of Gary, was laid to rest here in 1993.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
located in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the seat of the Diocese of Gary
Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary is a Roman Catholic diocese in Indiana. It was founded on December 10, 1956.-Bishops:#Andrew Gregory Grutka #Norbert Felix Gaughan #Dale Joseph Melczek...
.
History
Holy Angels Parish was established by the Rev. Thomas F. Jansen in September 1906 in the Diocese of Fort WayneRoman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is a Roman Catholic diocese in north-central and northeastern Indiana. The Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades was appointed diocesan bishop by Pope Benedict XVI on November 14, 2009, and was installed on January 13, 2010...
. It was the first Catholic parish founded in the city of Gary. The initial Masses in the parish were celebrated in a tavern at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway. The first parish building was a combination church and school. The parishioners were mostly Eastern European, Irish, German and Italian
Holy Angels School opened in 1909 with the School Sisters of Notre Dame
School Sisters of Notre Dame
School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide order of Roman Catholic nuns devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and ministry...
as the faculty. The parish grew slowly and by the 1940s there was a need for a larger church building. The Rev. John A. Sullivan was the pastor when the present church was built in the Gothic Revival style. The cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
was laid on October 26, 1947 and it was dedicated on January 29, 1950 by Bishop John F. Noll
John F. Noll
Most Rev. John Francis Noll was bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne, Indiana from 1925 until his death in 1956. He was a native of Fort Wayne, and one of nineteen children. John Noll attended St. Lawrence Seminary in Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin from 1888 to 1893. He was ordained a priest...
.
When Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
established the Diocese of Gary on December 10, 1956, Holy Angels Church became the cathedral of the new diocese.
In the 1960s the primarily Caucasian parish began to change as African American and Latin American parishioners joined Holy Angels when St. Anthony’s and Sacred Heart Churches closed. The school building and convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
were torn down in 1965 when a new two-story facility was built for $1.2 million. The building contained school classrooms, a convent, gymnasium, cafeteria and space for a parish hall. On June 7, 1994 the name of the school was changed to the Sister Thea Bowman
Thea Bowman
Sister Thea Bowman, F.S.P.A., was a Roman Catholic Religious Sister, teacher, and scholar.-Life:Born as Bertha Bowman in Yazoo City, Mississippi, she converted to the Roman Catholic Church, during her childhood, and joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at La Crosse, Wisconsin,...
School. It is now a charter school named the Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy is a 13 year charter school in Gary, Indiana. The academy is named after Sister Thea Bowman, an African-American, Roman Catholic nun, teacher, and scholar, of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration...
.
Architecture
As one enters the worship space one encounters the baptismal pool and then is lead to the altar, which is located in the transeptTransept
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...
. The pool is made of travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
marble and the four pillars at the base are from the old high altar. The base and the top of the ambry, where the holy oils
Chrism
Chrism , also called "Myrrh" , Holy anointing oil, or "Consecrated Oil", is a consecrated oil used in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Rite Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, in the Assyrian Church of the East, and in Old-Catholic churches, as well as Anglican churches in the administration...
are kept, is the former baptismal font. The upper section is made from black walnut.
The altar is constructed of marble and is roughly square in shape. In the floor surrounding the altar are angels in mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
. They are shown as the diversity of the human race and in the diocese itself: African, Caucasian, Asian and Latin. In the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
of the cathedral is the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
from the old high altar with a Calvary grouping. The cathedra
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
, or bishop’s chair, sits in the presbytery
Presbytery (architecture)
The presbytery is the name for an area in a church building which is reserved for the clergy.In the oldest church it is separated by short walls, by small columns and pilasters in the Renaissance ones; it can also be raised, being reachable by a few steps, usually with railings....
in front of the old reredos. It is carved from black walnut and installed in 1996. A carved angel stands next to the chair. The ambo
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is constructed of the same materials of the altar and the reredos.
The tabernacle
Church tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
is located in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. A cross is formed behind the tabernacle by four carved angels in adoration. The shrine of the Holy Angels is in the east transept. It includes an icon of the Synaxis of the Holy Angels, which was done in an Ethiopian
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
-Coptic
Coptic art
Coptic art is a term used either for the art of Egypt produced in the early Christian era or for the art produced by the Coptic Christians themselves. Coptic art is most well known for its wall-paintings, textiles, illuminated manuscripts, and metalwork, much of which survives in monasteries and...
style. The shrine is dedicated to deceased parishioners and priests of the diocese. Bishop Andrew Gregory Grutka
Andrew Gregory Grutka
Andrew Gregory Grutka was a 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as first bishop of the Diocese of Gary in the state of Indiana from 1956-1984.-Biography:...
, the first bishop of Gary, was laid to rest here in 1993.
Pastors/Rectors
The following priests have served as the parish pastors and since 1956 they have served as cathedral rector:- Msgr. F. Thomas Jansen (1906-1942)
- Rev. John A. Sullivan (1942-1963)
- Rev. John C. Witte (1963-1968)
- Rev. Casimir E. Sederak (1968-1971)
- Rev. Donald C. Grass (1971-1983)
- Rev. Richard A. Emerson (1983)
- Rev. Joseph A. Viater (1983-1985)
- Rev. William E. Vogt (1985-1986)
- Rev. Andrew Daniels, OFM CapOrder of Friars Minor CapuchinThe Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
(1986-1992) - Rev. Matthew Iwuji (1992-1997)
- Rev. Robert P. Gehring (1997-2007)
- Rev. Jon J. Plavcan (2007-Present)