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Basilica of St. Louis, King of France

Coordinates:38°37′27″N90°11′14″W/ 38.624121°N 90.187229°W/38.624121; -90.187229
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France
Basilica in June 2011
Religion
AffiliationRoman Catholic
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusMinor basilica
Location
Location209 Walnut Street,St. Louis, Missouri,United States
Geographic coordinates38°37′27″N90°11′14″W/ 38.624121°N 90.187229°W/38.624121; -90.187229
Architecture
Architect(s)Joseph Laveille and George Morton
StyleGreek Revival
Groundbreaking1770 (first church)
1831 (current church)
Completed1834
Specifications
Direction of façadeSouth by west
Length134 feet (41 m)
Width84 feet (26 m)
Height (max)95 feet (29 m)
MaterialsLimestone
Website
Basilica of St. Louis, King of France
Not to be confused withCathedral Basilica of Saint Louis (St. Louis).

TheBasilica of Saint Louis, King of France(French:Cathédrale Saint-Louis-Roi-de-France de Saint-Louis), formerly theCathedral of Saint Louis,and colloquially theOld Cathedral,is aCatholicchurch inSt. Louis, Missouri.[1]It was the firstcathedralwest of theMississippi Riverand until 1844 the onlyparish churchin St. Louis.[2]It is one of two Catholicbasilicasin St. Louis (withthe current cathedral) and both are named for KingLouis IX of France(the namesake of the city).[3]

The current structure (built 1831–1834) is located near the historic riverfront of St. Louis. It is surrounded byGateway Arch National Park.However, the church is not part of the park. Because of the historical significance of the church, it was left intact while all neighboring buildings were demolished to make way for theGateway Archand related park. Rev. Nicholas Smith serves as Rector.

The basilica serves as a personal parish church rather than a territorial parish church. It ranks 177th of 196 churches in number of Catholics per church in theArchdiocese of St. Louis.[4]However, because of its historical significance (and its location along theMississippi Rivernear the iconic Arch), the basilica remains a popular church for marriage ceremonies in the archdiocese (ranking second of 196 churches) and a popular tourist destination.[4]

History

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The first Catholic church in St. Louis, built in 1770, and replaced by the current structure

Previous structures

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WhenPierre LaclèdeandAuguste Chouteauestablished the city of St. Louis,they dedicated a plot of land west of Laclède's home for the purposes of the Catholic Church. The earliest Catholic records suggest that a tent was used by an itinerant priest in 1766, but by 1770 a small log house was built on the site.[5]This building, consecrated by the Reverend Pierre Gibault, an itinerant priest, on June 24, 1770, was expanded in 1776 to include a log church.[5][6]In spite of a more substantial structure, no priest permanently resided in the village of St. Louis until 1811.[7]

These buildings began to be replaced in 1818 with a brick structure, on the orders of the BishopLouis William Valentine Dubourg.[8]The brick structure was designed by Gabriel Paul. During Dubourg's tenure as bishop, many artifacts, paintings, and an organ were donated to the church.[9]While the brick church was under construction, a cemetery was established near the building, in which many of the founders of St. Louis were interred.[9]Most of the bodies were moved and reinterred during the 1840s and 1850s toBellefontaine Cemetery,after the construction of the current church.

Additionally, Dubourg was influential in the establishment of St. Louis Academy (which later developed asSaint Louis University) in a two-story brick building adjacent to the new church in 1818.[10]Construction of the brick church was not complete until 1821.[11]

Construction

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In 1826, population growth prompted the establishment of theDiocese of St. Louis.The first bishop of the St. Louis diocese,Joseph Rosati,began construction of a new cathedral, now the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, to mark this growth. The cornerstone of the church was laid by Rosati during a ceremony on August 1, 1831.[12]

The church was designed and built by the architectural firm of Laveille and Morton, among the first architectural firms west of the Mississippi River north ofNew Orleans.[13]Construction was complete by late 1834. On Sunday, October 26, 1834, the cathedral was consecrated at a ceremony featuring the local militia and parishioners.[11]

Refurbished interior

After the elevation of the Diocese of St. Louis to archdiocese status in 1847, the cathedral became home to an early chapter of theSociety of Saint Vincent de Paul,a Catholic charity for the indigent. Both ArchbishopPeter Richard Kenrickand St. Louis MayorBryan Mullanphywere counted among the founders of the chapter, initially dedicated to assisting immigrants at a time of waves of immigration from Ireland and Germany, but later expanding to all St. Louis residents.[14]

The tradition of care for the poor and needy was carried on in the early 20th century after the appointment of the Reverend John Tannrath to head the church on September 5, 1915.[15]Tannrath not only refurbished the rectory and church, but also reestablished a parish school for local immigrant children. He arranged care for disabled children and adults.[16]

Recent history

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Again due to the growth of the city, a larger church was consecrated in 1914 farther west of the current church, in the city'sCentral West Endneighborhood. This larger church, theCathedral Basilica of Saint Louis,continues to serve as the seat of thearchbishop of St. Louis.To recognize the original cathedral's significance, on January 27, 1961,Pope John XXIIIdesignated it abasilica,giving it the present name, theBasilica of Saint Louis, King of France.[17]Shortly after, in 1963, the church was renovated by the prominent St. Louis architectural firm Murphy and Mackey.[18]

In 2015, the Basilica underwent a restoration, including:

Main altar in marble with copy of Diego Velazquez'sThe Crucifixion
  • Repaired exterior limestone and sandstone
  • Replaced the mullioned windows with energy efficient yet historically accurate glass in the original Gothic design
  • Repaired the steeple, roofs, and gutters
  • Restored the front doors
  • Upgraded the parking lot, entrance pavers, and landscaping
  • Renovated the interior vestibule
  • Removed all carpet, leaving and repairing the wood floors
  • Restored decorativemillworkand statuary.

The current parish serves the needs of local parishioners, described as "few in number but strong in loyalty", along with working people and tourists.[19]However, because of its location along the Mississippi River and near the Gateway Arch (which provide backdrops for wedding photos) the church is often used for weddings, only ranking behindSt. Francis Xavier College ChurchatSaint Louis Universityin the number of Catholic marriages in the archdiocese.[4][19]

Design and artifacts

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Gateway Arch and Old Cathedral

Built inGreek Revivalstyle, the church is noted for its marble altars, a painting ofSaint Louis venerating the Crown of Thornsgiven byLouis XVIII,King of FranceandNavarre,and an accurate copy of the painting of theCrucifixionbyDiego Velázquezinstalled in the church in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Engraved in gold over the entrance to the church are the wordsIn honorem s. Ludovici. Deo uni et trino dicatum. A. MDCCCXXXIV,which translates as "In honor of St. Louis. Dedicated to the one and triune God. A.D. 1834".[20]Hebrew letters, intended to spell out theTetragrammaton,are also inscribed inHebrewabove the engraving on the main entrance. Anurban legendof unknown origin claims that "the letterHethwas substituted for the letterHe,so the inscription merely readsyachuch,which has no meaning in Hebrew "; however, the letters in the inscription appear to indeed beHe.[citation needed]

The church basement has a number of artifacts associated with the history of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis,including a bell given to the church by the governor of the territory of Louisiana during the early 19th century.[21]BishopJoseph Rosati,who ordered the construction of the church, is interred in a vault underneath the sanctuary.

Footnotes

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  1. ^"Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (Old Cathedral), St. Louis, Missouri, USA".gcatholic.org.Retrieved2017-02-13.
  2. ^Eversgerd, Shania; Levato, Gianna; Mancuso, Emma."St. Mary of Victories Catholic Church".Arch City Religion.Retrieved15 July2023.
  3. ^Conard, p. 528
  4. ^abc"Statistics of the Archdiocese of St. Louis"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 7 March 2010.Retrieved2010-02-20.
  5. ^abConard, p. 529
  6. ^Violette, p. 92
  7. ^Conard, p. 530
  8. ^Violette, p. 91-2
  9. ^abReavis, p. 150
  10. ^Conard, p. 532
  11. ^abConard, p. 533
  12. ^Reavis, p. 157
  13. ^Stevens, p. 530
  14. ^Conard, p. 535
  15. ^Stevens, p. 312-3
  16. ^Stevens, p. 313
  17. ^"Basilicas in USA".gcatholic.org.Retrieved2017-06-23.
  18. ^McCue, p. 34
  19. ^ab"Basilica of St. Louis, King of France Web Site".Archivedfrom the original on 26 January 2010.Retrieved2010-02-20.
  20. ^"The Old Cathedral - Field Trip: St. Louis".homepages.rootsweb.Retrieved2017-06-23.
  21. ^Massey, p. 105

See also

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References

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