Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
. It is the former cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
mother church
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 former Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown was established on April 8, 1808, along with the dioceses of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, out of the territory of the Baltimore Diocese, the first Catholic diocese in the US. When founded, the Bardstown Diocese included most of Kentucky, Tennessee,...
. During its years as a cathedral, the pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
was Benedict Joseph Flaget
Benedict Joseph Flaget
Benedict Joseph Flaget was a U.S. bishop. He served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown between 1808 and 1839, then as bishop of the Diocese of Louisville between 1839 and 1850 when the See was transferred to Louisville in 1839.-Education and Call to Ministry:At...
, the first Bishop of Bardstown.
Construction
The cornerstone was laid on July 16, 1816, with construction beginning thereafter. Materials used for its construction were found in the immediate area. The architect and builder was John RogersJohn Rogers
-Europeans:*John Rogers , editor and part translator of the Matthew Bible, and the first English Protestant martyr under Queen Mary...
of Baltimore. By 1819 it was sufficiently completed for Mass to be held. The interior was fully complete by 1823. Many of the paintings and interior decorations were donated by Pope Leo XII
Pope Leo XII
Pope Leo XII , born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiore Girolamo Nicola Sermattei della Genga, was Pope from 1823 to 1829.-Life:...
, King Louis-Philippe of France
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
and others. The gift from the King of France included paintings by Rubens
Rubens
Rubens is often used to refer to Peter Paul Rubens , the Flemish artist.Rubens may also refer to:- People :Family name* Paul Rubens Rubens is often used to refer to Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), the Flemish artist.Rubens may also refer to:- People :Family name* Paul Rubens (composer) Rubens is...
, Murillo
Bartolomé Estéban Murillo
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children...
, Van Dyke
Van Dyke
Van Dyke is a surname of Dutch or Flemish origin. It may refer to:* Sir Anthony van Dyck, , Flemish-born painter*Barry Van Dyke , American actor, son of Dick Van Dyke...
and others. Gifts of royal embroidered vestments — the handwork of the queen and her court — and sacramental vessels were also made.
Paintings from King Louis
- The Crucifixtion, Phillippe Van Bree
- The Flaying of St. Bartholemew, RubensRubensRubens is often used to refer to Peter Paul Rubens , the Flemish artist.Rubens may also refer to:- People :Family name* Paul Rubens Rubens is often used to refer to Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), the Flemish artist.Rubens may also refer to:- People :Family name* Paul Rubens (composer) Rubens is...
- Descent of the Holy Ghost, Van EyckVan EyckVan Eyck , also Van Eijk is a Dutch surname meaning "of Eyck" or "of Eijk"...
- The Winged St. Mark, Van Dyck
- St. Peter in Chains, Van Dyck
- St. John the Baptist, Van Dyck
- The Coronation in Heaven of the Mother of God, MurilloBartolomé Estéban MurilloBartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children...
- The Annunciation, Van EyckVan EyckVan Eyck , also Van Eijk is a Dutch surname meaning "of Eyck" or "of Eijk"...
- Teaching the Boys, artist unknown
The paintings were stolen from the church November 12, 1952. The paintings were valued at $875,000 at the time. The paintings were recovered during April and May 1953.
Historical significance
The proto-cathedral is the first Catholic Cathedral west of the Allegheny MountainsAllegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
. On January 9, 1974, the proto-cathedral 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...
. On June 3, 1976, the listing was expanded to include the adjacent Spalding Hall
Spalding Hall
Spalding Hall is a building on the National Register of Historic Places in Bardstown, Kentucky, USA. It was built in conjunction with the Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral. The building houses the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey and the Bardstown Historical Museum.The hall was built in 1826...
and Flaget Hall, originally St. Joseph College.
Over time, the location of the cornerstone was lost, until 1980 when it was uncovered during restoration of part of the building.
In August, 2001, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
elevated it to the honor of 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....
church and an umbraculum was installed at the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
.
Diocese of Bardstown
The Diocese of Bardstown was erected into an Episcopal See April 8, 1808 by the Holy SeeHoly See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. This diocese was the first inland diocese in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The primal see or proto-Diocese of the United States, the Diocese of Baltimore, was subdivided into the dioceses of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Bardstown (Baltimore becoming the Archdiocese of Baltimore).
The See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of the diocese of Bardstown was moved to Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
in 1841, and St. Joseph's was replaced as Cathedral by St. Louis Church (now the Cathedral of the Assumption
Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville
The Cathedral of the Assumption is the cathedral mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph Kurtz, D.D., the fourth and current Archbishop of Louisville, is in residence at the Cathedral. The Very Reverend Jeffery...
) on Fifth Street in Downtown Louisville. St. Joseph's therefore became the "proto" or first cathedral. The Diocese of Louisville
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville consists of twenty-four counties in Central Kentucky, USA, covering . It is the seat of the Metropolitan Province of Louisville, which comprises the states of Kentucky and Tennessee...
was elevated to Archdiocese in 1939.
In 1995, the Holy See honored the proto-cathedral by naming retired Bishop Charles G. Maloney
Charles Garrett Maloney (bishop)
Charles Garrett Maloney served as the Auxiliary Bishop of Louisville and titular Bishop of Bardstown, Kentucky.-Education:...
, the Titular Bishop of Bardstown. Maloney died on April 30, 2006.http://www.archlou.org/archlou/-1999988020/-1999903459/-1998754990.htm He was succeeded by Bishop Daniel E. Thomas on June 8, 2006.