Saint Joseph Cathedral In Buffalo
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Saint Joseph Cathedral is located at 50 Franklin Street in downtown
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
within the
Joseph Ellicott Historic District Joseph Ellicott Historic District is a local Historic district (United States), historic district in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, New York. It is in the vicinity of Niagara Square, which was designed by Joseph Ellicott as the centerpiece of the ...
, and is currently the
cathedral church 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 Diocese of Buffalo The Diocese of Buffalo () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Western New York in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese within the metropolitan province of the Archdiocese of New York. The Diocese of Buffalo includes ei ...
.


History

Buffalo's first bishop,
John Timon John Timon, CM (February 12, 1797 – April 16, 1867) was an American Catholic prelate who served as the first Bishop of Buffalo and founded the Brothers of the Holy Infancy. He was a member of the Vincentians. Biography Early life John Tim ...
, established St. Joseph's in 1847 to be the seat of the new diocese. Because of the economic situation in the city he raised funds to build the church while he was in Europe. The
cornerstone A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry Foundation (engineering), foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entir ...
was laid on February 6, 1851. During construction, a storm approached the city from
Lake Erie Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...
and destroyed several homes in the area. Bishop Timon allowed the residents to set up tents within the cathedral's walls for several weeks. The cathedral was usable, but not complete, when it was dedicated on July 1, 1855. The south tower was completed in the summer of 1862. Bishop Timon consecrated the completed cathedral on August 21, 1863. In 1902, Bishop James Quigley decided that the diocese required a new cathedral and purchased property at Delaware Avenue and Utica Street beginning in 1902. Italian architect Aristide Leonori designed a new
Gothic 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 ...
cathedral which was constructed between 1912 and 1915. The new edifice became known as St. Joseph's (New) Cathedral and this church became known as St. Joseph's Old Cathedral. This time both towers of the new cathedral were completed to a height of . Unfortunately, the cathedral was better suited for Rome's climate rather than Buffalo's. By 1924, the north and south transepts required major repairs and by 1927, the towers were so unstable they were removed. The exterior marble started to separate from the brick and Bishop Edward D. Head determined in 1976 that repairs would be too costly for the "new" St. Joseph's and the diocese. In 1977, after the demolition of the new cathedral, the "old cathedral" once again became known as St. Joseph's Cathedral.


Architecture

Bishop Timon selected New York architect Patrick C. Keely, who had worked with A. W. N. Pugin, to design the church. He created a
Gothic 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 ...
structure in length by across. The original plan called for towers on the north and south corners of the facade, however only the south tower was finished. The tower contained a 43-bell carillon by Bollee & Son of
Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...
, France. At the time of its completion in 1869, the carillon was the largest in the U.S. and the third largest in the world. Installed in St. Joseph's in 1870, the bells were too large for the cathedral's tower and never worked properly. At present, all but 2 of the bells have been removed from the church tower. Bishop Stephen V. Ryan added the Lady Chapel built at the rear of the cathedral in 1873. The three lancet windows above the altar were produced at the direction of King
Ludwig II of Bavaria Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886), also called the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King (), was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke ...
for the Paris Exposition of 1855. During his trips to Europe, Bishop Timon saw the windows and asked if the King would donate them to the new structure. After first being refused, the Bishop persisted and Ludwig relented. The cathedral was renovated in 1882, 1903–05, 1937–47 and most recently in 1977.


Organ

The choir loft houses a 3,627 pipe
Hook & Hastings E. and G. G. Hook was a pipe organ designing and manufacturing company, located in Boston, Massachusetts, which operated from 1827 to 1935. It was started, and originally run, by brothers Elias Hook, Elias and George Greenleaf Hook. History The H ...
organ, Opus 828. The organ was built in 1876 for the
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It was the first official wo ...
, where it was played frequently for concerts. It was moved to the Cathedral following the end of the Exposition February 13, 1877. The organ was updated in 1925 and 1976, but by 1996 had become unplayable. In 1998, the bishop and parish council engaged the Andover Organ Company to restore and expand the instrument. Andover installed the restored instrument in 2001 as its Opus R-328. It currently contains three manuals and 90 stops.


Gallery

File:Saint joseph cathedral2.JPG, Façade detail looking northwest File:Saint joseph rectory.JPG, East Rectory façade File:Saint joseph cathedral sign.JPG, Identification plaque at the entrance File:Saint joseph cathedral sign2.JPG, Marker commemorating Bishop John Timon at the entrance File:St. Joseph's Cathedral in 1914.jpg, A 1914 view of the cathedral and rectory File:St. Joseph Cathedral Sacred Heart Altar.jpg, The north transept in 1914 File:St. Joseph Cathedral Interior - Buffalo, NY.jpg, Sanctuary in 2017 File:Chapel - Saint Joseph Cathedral (Buffalo, New York).jpg, The Lady Chapel File:Bishop's Graves Saint Joseph Cathedral - Buffalo.jpg, Marker denoting the burials of Bishop Timon and Bishop Ryan File:San cesario buffalo.jpg, Bishop Richard J. Malone and Msgr. David S. Slubecky beneath a calendar reliquary (tapestry) of 365 saints and icon of Saint
Caesarius of Terracina Saint Caesarius of Terracina (, "Saint Caesarius the Deacon") was a Christian martyr. The church of San Cesareo in Palatio in Rome bears his name. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church, with a feast ...


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


Official Cathedral Site

Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Joseph Cathedral, Buffalo, New York Religious organizations established in 1847 Roman Catholic churches completed in 1862 Joseph, Buffalo Gothic Revival church buildings in New York (state) Roman Catholic churches in Buffalo, New York Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo 1847 establishments in New York (state) 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States