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Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Savannah)
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral
at 222 East Harris Street, Savannah
, Georgia
, in the United States
. It is the Mother Church
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
.
of Savannah prohibited Roman Catholics from settling in Savannah. The English Trustees feared that Roman Catholics would be more loyal to the Spanish in Florida than the English. This prohibition faded shortly after the American Revolutionary War
and this congregation was reoganized around 1796. French Catholic emigres established the first church in 1799 fleeing from Haiti after an uprising and fleeing the French Revolution.A second church was dedicated in 1839 due to the increase in population of Savannah Catholics. Construction began on the new Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in 1873 and was completed by the addition of the spires in 1896. It was almost totally destroyed by fire in 1898 and through diligent effort was rebuilt by 1899. Today the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah includes 90 counties in Mid and Southern Georgia, including cities such as Columbus
and Macon
.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
at 222 East Harris Street, Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the 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 Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the southern counties of the state of Georgia...
.
History
The colonial charterColonial charter
A charter is a document that gave colonies the legal rights to exist.A charter is a document bestowing certain rights on a town, city, university or an institution....
of Savannah prohibited Roman Catholics from settling in Savannah. The English Trustees feared that Roman Catholics would be more loyal to the Spanish in Florida than the English. This prohibition faded shortly after the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and this congregation was reoganized around 1796. French Catholic emigres established the first church in 1799 fleeing from Haiti after an uprising and fleeing the French Revolution.A second church was dedicated in 1839 due to the increase in population of Savannah Catholics. Construction began on the new Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in 1873 and was completed by the addition of the spires in 1896. It was almost totally destroyed by fire in 1898 and through diligent effort was rebuilt by 1899. Today the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah includes 90 counties in Mid and Southern Georgia, including cities such as Columbus
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
and Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
.