St. Francis Xavier Cathedral (Alexandria, Louisiana)
Encyclopedia
St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is the cathedral
church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria
, located in Alexandria, Louisiana
.
The cathedral was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on . The complex includes the cathedral building, St. Francis Academy (erected in 1897), and the rectory (erected in 1896 and renovated in 1930).
of Saint Francis was constructed in 1817. It was the only building in Alexandria spared during the American Civil War
. As the Union
army pulled out of the town during the disastrous Red River Campaign
, Father J. P. Bellier disguised his voice to impersonate that of General Nathaniel Banks
, the Union commanding officer
, and ordered the troops to spare the church. His plan succeeded and the building was saved.
The old building burned down in 1895. Efforts to rebuild a church started immediately. The foundation stone was laid down on . Designed in Gothic revival style
by Nicholas J. Clayton
, the new church was dedicated on , the first brick church in the city. In 1907, a belfry
was added, and the clock was installed in 1908.
Because of the newly constructed church and Alexandria's central location, Bishop Cornelius Van de Ven
petitioned the Roman Curia
to transfer the seat of the diocese from Natchitoches
to Alexandria. Pope Pius X
created the suffragan Diocese of Alexandria on . St. Francis Xavier Church was elevated to the rank of cathedral of the newly created diocese.
The current bishop of Alexandria is Ronald Paul Herzog
, and the rector of the cathedral is Father James A. Ferguson.
s are the largest in the state. The cathedral boasts a 3-manual, 48-rank Reuter
pipe organ
inaugurated in 2004.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria
Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana
The Diocese of Alexandria is the Roman Catholic diocese for central Louisiana, based in Alexandria, with its see at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral...
, located in Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
.
The cathedral was added to 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 . The complex includes the cathedral building, St. Francis Academy (erected in 1897), and the rectory (erected in 1896 and renovated in 1930).
History
The old parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Saint Francis was constructed in 1817. It was the only building in Alexandria spared during the American 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...
. As the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
army pulled out of the town during the disastrous Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign or Red River Expedition consisted of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 10 to May 22, 1864. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen....
, Father J. P. Bellier disguised his voice to impersonate that of General Nathaniel Banks
Nathaniel Prentice Banks
Nathaniel Prentice Banks was an American politician and soldier, served as the 24th Governor of Massachusetts, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and as a Union general during the American Civil War....
, the Union commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
, and ordered the troops to spare the church. His plan succeeded and the building was saved.
The old building burned down in 1895. Efforts to rebuild a church started immediately. The foundation stone was laid down on . Designed in Gothic revival style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
by Nicholas J. Clayton
Nicholas J. Clayton
Nicholas Joseph Clayton was a prominent Victorian architect in Galveston. Clayton constructed many early public buildings in the city including the First Presbyterian Church .-External links:...
, the new church was dedicated on , the first brick church in the city. In 1907, a belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
was added, and the clock was installed in 1908.
Because of the newly constructed church and Alexandria's central location, Bishop Cornelius Van de Ven
Cornelius Van de Ven
Cornelius Van de Ven was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana, Louisiana....
petitioned the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
to transfer the seat of the diocese from Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
to Alexandria. Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
created the suffragan Diocese of Alexandria on . St. Francis Xavier Church was elevated to the rank of cathedral of the newly created diocese.
The current bishop of Alexandria is Ronald Paul Herzog
Ronald Paul Herzog
Ronald Paul Herzog is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eleventh and current Bishop of Alexandria in central Louisiana.-Biography:...
, and the rector of the cathedral is Father James A. Ferguson.
Interior
The cathedral's rose windowRose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
s are the largest in the state. The cathedral boasts a 3-manual, 48-rank Reuter
Reuter Organ Company
Reuter Organ Company is a pipe organ builder located in Lawrence, Kansas.- Establishment :The Reuter Organ Company was founded in 1917 by A.C. Reuter, Earl Schwartz and Henry Jost as the Reuter-Schwartz Organ Company in Trenton, Illinois....
pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
inaugurated in 2004.