Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Juneau, Alaska)

The Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was until 2020 the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Juneau and is currently a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. The cathedral is located at 416 Fifth Street in Juneau, Alaska. The cathedral may be the smallest in North America.[1]

Co-Cathedral of the Nativity
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Juneau
Location in Alaska
58°18′12″N 134°24′30″W
Location416 Fifth Street
Juneau, Alaska
Country United States
DenominationRoman Catholic Church
Websitewww.juneaucathedral.org
History
Founded1885
Founder(s)Fr. John Althoff
Architecture
Completed1910
Specifications
MaterialsWood
Administration
DioceseAnchorage-Juneau
Clergy
Bishop(s)Andrew E. Bellisario, SM
RectorFr. Patrick Casey, OMI
Deacon(s)Dcn. Charles Rohrbacher

History

In 1885, Fr. John Althoff was sent by Archbishop Charles John Seghers and a parish was created for the growing mining community in Alaska's Silverbow Basin. [1]

A church was built in 1886 on the same block on Fifth Street where the cathedral currently sits.[1] This church was replaced in 1910 with the present cathedral building.

The church was consecrated and elevated to the status of cathedral in 1951, when the Diocese of Juneau was created.[1][2] Robert Dermot O'Flanagan was appointed the first Bishop of Juneau, having served as a priest in Alaska since 1933.[3]

In 1962, the cathedral parish established a mission church in the Mendenhall Valley to serve the community in the Mendenhall Valley and around the Auke Bay area.[4] A decade later, in 1972, the mission church was separated from the cathedral parish by Bishop Francis Thomas Hurley and became St Paul the Apostle Parish.[4]

In 2019, fundraising began for a major renovation of the cathedral with support from Bishop Andrew E. Bellisario.[5][6]

On May 19, 2020, the Diocese of Juneau was merged with the Archdiocese of Anchorage. The cathedral is now a co-cathedral of the archdiocese, along with the Cathedral of the Holy Family and Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage, Alaska.[7]

See also

References
  1. "A Brief History of Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary". Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. January 16, 2008. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  2. "Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary". GCatholic.org. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  3. Bagoy, John. "Fr. Demont O'Flanagan and Holy Family Church". Holy Family Cathedral History. Archived from the original on 2009-10-28.
  4. "About us". St Paul the Apostle. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  5. Bellisario, Andrew. "April 29, 2019 bishop's letter" (PDF). Juneau Cathedral. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  6. "Option B 3D Rendering" (PDF). Juneau Cathedral. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  7. "Pope merges Dioceses of Anchorage and Juneau and names first bishop". Vatican News. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.


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