St. Stephen's Cathedral (Owensboro, Kentucky)
Encyclopedia
St. Stephen’s Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral
located in Owensboro, Kentucky
, United States
. It is the seat of the Diocese of Owensboro
.
priests would celebrate Mass in the homes of the settlers. The first St. Stephen’s Church in Owensboro was built in 1839 and the Rev. John C. Wathen was appointed the parish’s first pastor. As the town and parish continued to grow a larger church was needed and so a second church was built on the same site as the first in 1856. The present church was built on Locust Street between 1924-1926.
On December 9, 1937 Pope Pius XII
established the Diocese of Owensboro. St. Stephen’s was chosen as the new diocese’s cathedral. The first Bishop of Owensboro, Francis Ridgley Cotton
, was consecrated in St. Stephen’s Cathedral on February 24, 1938.
in 1849. The same year that St. Stephen’s became a cathedral, 1939, its first parish school opened on Frederica Streets with five grades. In 1951 Owensboro Catholic High School
replaced St. Francis Academy. A new St. Stephen’s school opened in 1962 on Locust Street. The parochial schools in Owensboro consolidated in 1989 and used the building at St. Angela Merici for the new school. That same year a pre-school opened at St. Stephen’s.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
located in Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the seat of the Diocese of Owensboro
Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro is a Roman Catholic diocese in Kentucky. It was founded on December 9, 1937. It is currently a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Louisville...
.
History
In the early years of Daviess CountyDaviess County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 91,545 people, 36,033 households, and 24,826 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 38,432 housing units at an average density of...
priests would celebrate Mass in the homes of the settlers. The first St. Stephen’s Church in Owensboro was built in 1839 and the Rev. John C. Wathen was appointed the parish’s first pastor. As the town and parish continued to grow a larger church was needed and so a second church was built on the same site as the first in 1856. The present church was built on Locust Street between 1924-1926.
On December 9, 1937 Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
established the Diocese of Owensboro. St. Stephen’s was chosen as the new diocese’s cathedral. The first Bishop of Owensboro, Francis Ridgley Cotton
Francis Ridgley Cotton
Francis Ridgley Cotton was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Owensboro .-Biography:...
, was consecrated in St. Stephen’s Cathedral on February 24, 1938.
Catholic Schools
The first school in Davis County was St. Francis Academy. It was opened by the Sisters of Charity of NazarethSisters of Charity of Nazareth
The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth was founded in 1812 near Bardstown, Kentucky when three young women responded to Bishop John Baptist Mary David's call for assistance in ministering to the needs of the people of the area. Nineteen year old Catherine Spalding was elected its...
in 1849. The same year that St. Stephen’s became a cathedral, 1939, its first parish school opened on Frederica Streets with five grades. In 1951 Owensboro Catholic High School
Owensboro Catholic High School
Owensboro Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Owensboro, Kentucky. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro.-Background:Owensboro Catholic was established in 1951, replacing the closing St. Frances Academy....
replaced St. Francis Academy. A new St. Stephen’s school opened in 1962 on Locust Street. The parochial schools in Owensboro consolidated in 1989 and used the building at St. Angela Merici for the new school. That same year a pre-school opened at St. Stephen’s.