Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle (Jackson)
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter the Apostle is the seat of the Bishop
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson
, Mississippi
. The cathedral is named for Saint Peter
the Apostle.
arrived in Nachez and set out to construct parishes. The Mississippi legislature granted land to several congregations in Jackson and Bishop Chanche dedicated the new Catholic church at Court and President Streets to Saint Peter the Apostle on August 23, 1846.
The wood-frame church was burned during the Civil War
by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1862 and the congregation met in various locations around the city. A second structure also burned. Work on the current structure began in 1897 and it was dedicated June 3, 1900. It is constructed in a modified Gothic
design of brick with a cruciform floorplan. The front facade features a square tower topped with a spire that reaches a height of 119 ft (36.3 m).
In 1948, the administrative center of the Diocese of Natchez was transferred to Jackson and the see was renamed the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson. In February 1957, the church was raised to the rank of co-cathedral and when part of the territory was split to form the Diocese of Biloxi
in 1977, St. Peter's was named as cathedral of the Diocese of Jackson.
In 1988, the church's Kilgen
organ was replaced with a two manual/26-rank instrument by Rieger Orgelbau
of Austria
. The organ is dedicted to the memory of Bishop Joseph Brunini who served from 1968 to 1984.
The cathedral was renovated in the 1980s and in 1998, an activities building to house offices, a parish hall and classrooms was added in a style that blends with the design of the church. In 2010, the church underwent major renovations. The steeple was rebuilt and sheathed in copper and slate, and capped with a new cross. The roof of the main building was repaired and brick was tuckpointed. Stained glass windows and their frames were cleaned, sealed and covered with protective glass and electrical and sound systems were upgraded. Earlier inspections of the tower and steeple revealed dry rot, leaks, termite damage and other structual problems which were made worse by damage sustained during Hurricane Katrina
in 2005.
The Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle is currently the seat of Bishop Joseph Latino
, the Bishop of Jackson, Mississippi
and holds daily and weekly masses in English and Spanish.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson is a diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Mobile, in the southern United States of America. Its ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes the northern and central parts of the state of Mississippi, an area of . It is the largest diocese, by area, in the United...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. The cathedral is named for Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
the Apostle.
History
The diocese of Natchez was created July 28, 1837 and included all of Mississippi. In 1841, Bishop John J. ChancheJohn J. Chanche
Bishop John Joseph Mary Benedict Chanche, S.S. was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Natchez from 1841 to 1852.-Early Life and Family:John Mary Joseph Chanche was born October 4, 1795, in Baltimore, Maryland...
arrived in Nachez and set out to construct parishes. The Mississippi legislature granted land to several congregations in Jackson and Bishop Chanche dedicated the new Catholic church at Court and President Streets to Saint Peter the Apostle on August 23, 1846.
The wood-frame church was burned during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1862 and the congregation met in various locations around the city. A second structure also burned. Work on the current structure began in 1897 and it was dedicated June 3, 1900. It is constructed in a modified Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
design of brick with a cruciform floorplan. The front facade features a square tower topped with a spire that reaches a height of 119 ft (36.3 m).
In 1948, the administrative center of the Diocese of Natchez was transferred to Jackson and the see was renamed the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson. In February 1957, the church was raised to the rank of co-cathedral and when part of the territory was split to form the Diocese of Biloxi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi encompasses 17 counties in south Mississippi. It was erected on March 1, 1977, when it was split from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson...
in 1977, St. Peter's was named as cathedral of the Diocese of Jackson.
In 1988, the church's Kilgen
Kilgen
Kilgen was a prominent American builder of organs which was in business from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.-History:-The Kilgen family:...
organ was replaced with a two manual/26-rank instrument by Rieger Orgelbau
Rieger Orgelbau
Rieger Orgelbau is an Austrian firm of organ builders, known generally as Rieger. The firm was founded by Franz Rieger. From 1873 it was known as Rieger & Söhne, and from 1879 as Gebrüder Rieger, after his sons took over. At the end of World War II, the firm was nationalised by the Czech government...
of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The organ is dedicted to the memory of Bishop Joseph Brunini who served from 1968 to 1984.
The cathedral was renovated in the 1980s and in 1998, an activities building to house offices, a parish hall and classrooms was added in a style that blends with the design of the church. In 2010, the church underwent major renovations. The steeple was rebuilt and sheathed in copper and slate, and capped with a new cross. The roof of the main building was repaired and brick was tuckpointed. Stained glass windows and their frames were cleaned, sealed and covered with protective glass and electrical and sound systems were upgraded. Earlier inspections of the tower and steeple revealed dry rot, leaks, termite damage and other structual problems which were made worse by damage sustained during Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005.
The Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle is currently the seat of Bishop Joseph Latino
Joseph Nunzio Latino
Joseph Nunzio Latino is the current Roman Catholic Bishop of Jackson .-Early life and career :Latino was born in New Orleans, Louisiana....
, the Bishop of Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
and holds daily and weekly masses in English and Spanish.