St. Mary’s Cathedral (Amarillo, Texas)
Encyclopedia
St. Mary’s Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral church
located in Amarillo, Texas
, United States
. It has been the seat of the Diocese of Amarillo
since 2011.
from San Antonio
. Sacred Heart Cathedral
bought the property in 1944. Three years later a chapel from an Air Force base was moved to the school property and became a chapel of convenience for the cathedral parish. St. Mary’s Parish was started at the Academy property in 1959. A new church was built for the parish in 1981 and it was destroyed in a fire on February 26, 2007.
The first to raise the possibility of St. Mary’s becoming a cathedral was Bishop John Yanta. Because he was nearing retirement no action was taken. His successor, Bishop Patrick Zurek
, made a request of the Holy See
to change the cathedral from St. Laurence Cathedral
. The present church was dedicated on September 11, 2010 and it was proclaimed as the third cathedral of the Amarillo Diocese on March 25, 2011.
behind the Tabernacle
contains 25 relics of beatified and canonized saints. Original works of art include the tapestries from Taos, New Mexico
and a baptismal pool made of copper by an artist from South Texas. The pipe organ
has 1,200 pipes and trumpets valued at $900,000. On the exterior of the cathedral is a bas relief in the brick of Virgin Mary with the Christ Child. It was created by a Nebraska
artist.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
located in Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has been the seat of the Diocese of Amarillo
Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo is a Roman Catholic diocese in Amarillo Texas. It was founded on August 3, 1926 .The diocese's past bishops include:*Rudolph Gerken *Robert Emmet Lucey *Laurence Julius...
since 2011.
History
The property that is now St. Mary’s Cathedral was originally St. Mary’s Academy founded by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate WordSisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word is the name of two Roman Catholic religious orders based in the state of Texas.- Houston Order :...
from San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral (Amarillo, Texas)
Sacred Heart Cathedral is a former cathedral church located in Amarillo, Texas, United States. It was the seat of the Diocese of Amarillo from 1927 to 1975.-Sacred Heart Parish:...
bought the property in 1944. Three years later a chapel from an Air Force base was moved to the school property and became a chapel of convenience for the cathedral parish. St. Mary’s Parish was started at the Academy property in 1959. A new church was built for the parish in 1981 and it was destroyed in a fire on February 26, 2007.
The first to raise the possibility of St. Mary’s becoming a cathedral was Bishop John Yanta. Because he was nearing retirement no action was taken. His successor, Bishop Patrick Zurek
Patrick Zurek
Patrick James Zurek is the current Bishop of Amarillo since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 3 January 2008. Zurek trained in Rome as a moral theologian who was a chaplain at the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital during his seminary days.Zurek was ordained a priest in Rome on 29 June 1975 by...
, made a request of the Holy See
Holy 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...
to change the cathedral from St. Laurence Cathedral
St. Laurence Catholic Church (Amarillo, Texas)
St. Laurence Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Amarillo located in Amarillo, Texas, United States. It served as the cathedral church of the Diocese of Amarillo from 1975 to 2011.-History:...
. The present church was dedicated on September 11, 2010 and it was proclaimed as the third cathedral of the Amarillo Diocese on March 25, 2011.
Architecture
When Sacred Heart Cathedral downtown was being torn down Msgr. Francis Smyer, who was pastor of St. Mary’s from 1970-2001, collected articles from the old church. Most of these articles have been incorporated into the new St. Mary’s Cathedral. The stained glass windows by Conrad Schmidt Studios of Milwaukee are from the old cathedral, as is the altar stone, which is actually the three altar stones from Sacred Heart’s three altars. Documentation shows that the relics are from St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John Vianney and St. Pius X. Two carved wood angels in the Adoration Chapel are from Sacred Heart’s side altars, and the altar in the daily Mass chapel is one of the side altars. The reliquaryReliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
behind the Tabernacle
Church tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
contains 25 relics of beatified and canonized saints. Original works of art include the tapestries from Taos, New Mexico
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
and a baptismal pool made of copper by an artist from South Texas. The 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...
has 1,200 pipes and trumpets valued at $900,000. On the exterior of the cathedral is a bas relief in the brick of Virgin Mary with the Christ Child. It was created by a Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
artist.