Histories of the Cathedral |
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First Bishop of the Diocese
First Bishop of Galveston and All of Texas
Rt.
Rev. Jean Marie Odin, C.M.
Jean Marie Odin was born February 25, 1800 in Hauterville, France. As a
seminarian he became interested in going to America when his village priest Antoine Blanc,
the future bishop of New Orleans, went there as a missionary. Odin arrived in New Orleans
in July 1822 and went to St. Mary-of-the-Barrens Seminary in Ferry County, Missouri to
complete his priestly studies. There he joined the Congregation of the Mission
(Vincentians) and was ordained May 4, 1823. He was assigned to teach philosophy at the
seminary and devoted much of his time to missionary activities. In 1833 he accompanied
Bishop Rosati of St. Louis to the Second Council of Baltimore as his theologian and was
delegated to carry the Council's decrees to Pope Gregory XVI. On July 13, 1840 Odin
stepped foot on Texas soil for the first rime with the responsibility as Vice Prefect of
Texas.
On July 16, 1841 Pope Gregory XVI raised the ecclesiastical status of Texas to
vicariate apostolic and named Odin vicar apostolic, a responsibility which brought with it
ordination to the episcopacy. Because he had been on a missionary journey, Odin only
learned of his appointment on February 1, 1842. Odin was ordained a bishop on March 6,
1842 at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans and took on the title Vicar Apostolic of Texas
and Titular Bishop of Claudiopolis. Odin chose Galveston as his official residence as it
was a port city which would provide access to Europe from which funds and personnel would
come in the years ahead. In May 1846 the Sixth Council of Baltimore recommended that Rome
elevate Texas to diocesan status.
On March 14, 1847 Odin laid the cornerstone of St. Mary Church, Galveston which was
soon to be a cathedral for on May 4, 1847 Pope Pius IX approved the establishment of the
Diocese of Galveston and Odin as its first bishop. On June 20, 1860 Archbishop Blanc of
New Orleans died. It was felt that the new archbishop should be of French origin and
familiar with the area. Odin fulfilled both these requirements and was appointed
archbishop of New Orleans on April 18, 1861. Due to declining health, Odin retired from
his episcopal responsibilities in 1869 and returned to France. He died in his native town
of Ambierle on May 25, 1870.
Paraphrased from the
book, "Through Fire and Flood: The Catholic Church in Frontier
Texas. 1836-1900" by James Talmadge Moore, Texas A&M University Press,
1992.
St.
Mary Cathedral
1847-1947
Shaded
by palm trees, surrounded by shrubs, and partially cloaked in ivy, St. Mary
Cathedral stands on the corner of 21st and Church Streets on Galveston Island,
a memorial to its builder, Bishop John Mary Odin, and testimonial to the zeal
with
which he and his fellow missionaries once again sowed the seed of faith in
Texas, after it had begun to languish and die because of the Revolution which
gained Texas its independence but left Catholics without a local shepherd to
guide them.
During
1841 Father John M. Odin, recently appointed Vicar-Apostolic of Texas, managed
to procure enough money to begin the construction of a small frame church. He
was assisted greatly in this venture by N. D. Labadie, who, along with the
Menards, proved himself a true lay-apostle in the early years of the Church in
Galveston.
On
February 6, 1842, one month, before his consecration as Bishop, Odin dedicated
the completed structure to the Blessed Virgin. It was to be lamented, he
thought, that the small rectangular building, only fifty by twenty-two feet,
should be the principal Church of the Vicariate. He returned to Galveston
immediately after his consecration upon receipt of the news of a Mexican
invasion of Texas. Since the development of the Church in the west would have to
wait upon the settlement of the difficulties with Mexico, he applied what funds
he had to the eastern section of the Vicariate In Galveston he bought a five
room cottage as the episcopal residence, and purchased thirty benches in lieu of
pews for the church to which he added a small sacristy. But on September 19,
1842, a storm blew down the small church. This convinced him even more of the
necessity of a more durable structure, but in the meantime he made what
improvements he could. The tiny chapel was propped up, and the next year a small
tower was added in which he hung the Mass-bell on March 21, 1843.
On
May 11, 1844, Bishop Odin welcomed two more Vincentian priests to Galveston, J.
M. Paquill and John Brands. In August, 1844, Galveston suffered from an epidemic
of yellow fever, which resulted in the death of 200 citizens. Father Brands had
been heroically attending the sick and dying, and Father Paquin, then on a
visitation, immediately set out to assist his fellow priest in his work of
mercy. Both of them fell victims of the disease on the sixth, and Paquin, too
weak to throw it off, succumbed on the thirteenth. Three years later his body
was removed from its burial place to the new Cathedral by Father Brands.
In
1845 the gift of almost a half-million bricks. was made to Odin in Belgium,
which were shipped freight-free from Antwerp to Galveston. Now he was prepared
to realize his dreams of a permanent church for Galveston.
The
little frame church was moved out into the street, and work on the new St.
Mary's began in 1847. The ceremony of laying the cornerstone took place on
Sunday, March 14. Father Timon, formerly Prefect-Apostolic of Texas, who came
to Galveston for the event, preached the semon before a large crowd which had
come
to witness the ceremony. On the same day Father Chambodut made the following
entry in the Baptismal register:
In the year of
Our Lord, 1847 on the 14th of March,
In the first year of the Pontificate of His Holiness, Pius IX,
In the seventy-first year of the Independence of America,
James K. Polk being President of the United States of America,
Pickney J. Henderson, Governor of the State of Texas,
John P. Sydnor, Mayor of the City of Galveston,
The Most Reverend Joint Marie Odin, Bishop of Claudiopolis, and Vicar Apostolic
of Texas, assisted by the Very Rev. John Timon, Visitor of the Congregation of
the Missions in America, and John Brands, C.M., Vicar-General, and by the Rev.
Messrs. Bartholomew Rollando, C.M., Louis Claude Marie Chambodut, Matthew Chazelle,
and Anthony Chanrion, the Very Rev. John Timon preached a sermon before a large
congregation, solemnly blessed and placed in the foundation, this cornerstone
of the Church, erected to Almighty God under the invocation of Holy Mary Ever
Virgin. |
On
May 4, 1847, Pius IX created the Diocese of Galveston out of the Vicariate of
Texas. Bishop Odin was promoted to occupy the See as the first Bishop of
Galveston, and St. Mary 's would become his Cathedral Church upon 'its
completion.
But,
before its completion, the parish experienced the loss of one of its zealous
priests, the Rev. Bartholomew Rollando, C.M., who had come to Galveston in
November, 1845. Yellow fever once more struck Galveston and he fell, a victim of
the plague, on October 11, 1847. In his memory a memorial tablet was placed in
the wall of the Cathedral near the Sacred Heart Altar.
On
November 26, 1848, the Cathedral was ready for dedication. Once again John Timon
was chosen as the principal speaker because of his close association with, and
his pioneer work in the Diocese. He had been promoted to the See of Buffalo as
its first Bishop, and on this occasion gave three sermons, one while the rites
of dedication were carried on inside the Church, another at the Solemn Mass that
followed, and the third at Benediction, which was held at 7 :00 P.M. Once again
the event was recorded in the Baptismal register, this time in the handwriting
of Bishop Odin and signed by himself, the two assisting Bishops, and the priests
who were present:
In the year of
Our Lord, 1848, on the 26th of November,I, John Marie Odin, C. M., Bishop of Galveston, assisted by the Most Rev. Anthony
Blanc, Bishop of New Orleans, and the
Most Rev. John Timon, C. M., Bishop of Buffalo;and by the Rev. N. J. Perche,
Chaplain of the Ursuline Convent at New Orleans, in the office of Arch-deacon;
Edward Clarke, rector of St. Vincent's at Houston,
and James Girardon, missionary at Lavacca, and John Brands, C. M., in the office
of deacons; by James R. Miller, missionary at Brazoria, and Charles Padey, missionary
at Lavacca, in the office of sub-deacons; by Joseph Anstaett;. chanter; Edward
D'Hauw, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, at New Orleans, and Richard Hennessy,
C.M., master of ceremonies; a large congregation being present, I consecrated
our Cathedral Church and dedicated it to Almighty God under the invocation of
the Blessed Virgin Mary; this being finished, the Most Rev. Bishop of New Orleans
celebrated a Solemn Mass, during which the Bishop of Buffalo gave the sermon,
he also preached, before a large congregation, while the consecration took place
inside the church. |
Bishop
Odin could look with justifiable pride upon the completed structure. An
appealing example of Gothic architecture, 130 feet long and 75 feet wide, with a
transept width of 100 feet and a height of 60 feet, above which extended twin
towers, the Cathedral dominated the city, most of whose buildings were frame
constructions. It was a fitting symbol of the progress of the Church and an
incentive to the Bishop and priests to justify further their newly won diocesan
status.
For
the administration of the affairs of the Cathedral Parish, Bishop Odin and his
successors were wise in the priests they chose as rectors. Father Brands, who
assumed the office after Father Paquin's death, was forced to retire in 1849
because of ill health. During the following year the burdens of the parish were
shared by Fathers Richard Hennessy, C.M., and A. Gaudet, O.M.I. But, in 1851
Bishop Odin decided to call Father Louis Chambodut in from the missions and
appoint him as rector.
Father
L. C. M. Chambodut, rector for twen�ty-nine years, endeared himself to the
parish and the city by his selfless devotion during the yellow fever epidemics
and his heroic care of the wounded in the Battle of Galveston during the Civil
War. It was, only a few weeks after his appointment that he was made
Vicar-General of the Diocese, an office he held until his death on December 7,
1880, when he was buried in theCathedral where he had served God and His
children for so many years.
It
was during the epidemic of yellow fever of 1853 that the people of Galveston
were given further evidence that the true alter
Christus is also willing to give his life for his flock. In that year, and
early in the next, seven priests died of diseases contracted while ministering
to the faithful. In memory of these priests, Fathers J. C. Melton, J. Baudran,
J. P. Bajard, G. Metz, D. 0'Driscoll, and E. Hug who died of yellow fever, and
of Father J. Dixon who died of consumption, a marble monument has been erected
to mark their graves near the entrance of the Cathedral.
During
the years of his tenure, Father Chambodut saw and helped bring about many
advances and changes in the parish. The Ursulines came to Galveston at the
invitation of Bishop Odin in January, 1847, and since that time have conducted
a school for girls. But, shortly after the Cathedral was built, the Bishop
began
to lay plans for a school for boys in the city. He had arranged for, and often
taught catechism classes in a private school conducted by James P. Nash, but
in
1853, he wrote of a "seminary and a college" that was planned for the
training of young men. The Galveston City Company had made a grant of a block of
land for an educational institution and upon this was built St. Mary College
which was to function, with varying success, for seventy years.
Bishop
Odin was promoted on April 19, 1861, to the Archbishopric of New Orleans, and
Father Chamnbodut was appointed administrator of the Diocese until Bishop Claude
Dubuis, who was consecrated on November 23, 1862, in Lyon's, France, arrived
in Galveston in the spring of 1863. Bishop Dubuis had come to Texas in 1847 and
since that time had labored principally in Castroville and San Antonio. He
found, this time, that the Civil War, which was still in progress, had not left
Galveston untouched. "The Cathedral, he was to write, "is riddled with
bullets. Only on dry days can I say Mass within its walls." The Ursuljnes had.
turned their school into a military hospital where the wounded of both sides
were given attention. This incident and the frequent outbreaks of yellow fever
probably induced him to take steps that led to the foundation of a religious
order for nursing the sick.
As
grand as the Cathedral seemed when it was erected, there were some additions to
be made before the exterior obtained its present appealing appearance. Employing
the aid of N. J. Clayton, the Bishop had the tower built in 1876. And on May 26,
1876, a note appeared in the Galveston
News stating:
It is proposed
to erect a statue of the Virgin Mary, about 15 ft. high, on the newly
constructed tower over the Cathedral. Some $500 have been subscribed
for this purpose. |
By
the year 1878 the statue, with its outstretched arms picturing Mary's
protection, and a bell, cast in 1877 and donated by John L. Darraugh, were in
their proper places on the tower.
In
1884 the Cathedral received another alteration when, under the direction of N.
J. Clayton, the two front towers were heightened to bring them into proportion
with the central tower which had been added eight years previously.
Since
their arrival, the Cathedral Parochial School had been conducted by the
Dominicans in their own convent buildings, but, in 1892, a new building was
constructed on cathedral property at 20th and Winnie Streets. This building,
dedicated on the first day of May, 1892, "to the greater glory of God, and the
honor of his Immaculate Virgin Mother Mary, our dearest mother, for the
Christian education of youth,'' was used as both a high school and grammar
school until 1924 when the high school department was discontinued.
Bishop
Nicholas A. Gallagher, who was consecrated in the Cathedral at Galveston on
April 30, 1882, after the retirement of Bishop Dubuis, for many years retained
the title of rector of the Cathedral, but the names of many of the priests to
whom he entrusted much of the parochial business are still familiar to the older
members of the parish. Among these was Father J. Querat who succeeded Father
Buffard, and remained until 1886; he was followed by Father J. Blum who was
given the title of rector until 1888; after he was transferred, Fathers D. A.
Logue, J. Mahoney and S. Spinneweber shared the years until 1891. Then Father M.
McSorley was appointed and served until 1895 when he was followed in office by
Father J. Reade. Father James M. Kirwin became rector in 1896 and for twenty
years until his death in 1926 worked untiringly in that office, at the same time
holding the positions of Vicar-General and rector of the seminary.
The
Cathedral withstood the storm of 1900, and in 1907 a celebration commemorated
the sixtieth anniversary of the Diocese and the Cathedral, and also the
twenty-fifth anniversary of Bishop Gallagher 's episcopacy.
In
preparation for the occasion many improvements were made within the Cathedral.
The sanctuary floor was replaced with mosaic tiling, the wooden wainscoting was
replaced by marble, and marble foundations were put under the Bishop's throne
and the two side altars. A new main altar of marble was erected upon the
foundations which were laid for it when the Cathedral was built. New pews and
five new memorial windows were installed. Four of these windows are in the
sanctuary and the fifth is over the main entrance, representing Christ in the
Garden. At the same time, the whole building and the episcopal residence
adjoining were stuccoed and a cement coping was built to enclose the lawn.
On
the Feast of St. Agnes, January 21, 1918, Bishop Gallagher passed to his eternal
reward, and during the months that followed, Father Kirwin acted as
administrator of the Diocese.
In
preparation for the Diamond Jubilee of the Diocese and Cathedral, the marble
altar rail and steps were constructed, the two marble side altars erected, and
the whole of the interior was decorated anew. A beautiful new organ was
installed in time for the occasion. An instrument well fitted to accompany the
praises sung to God for the blessings bestowed upon the Diocese, it was equipped
with about 3,000 pipes with four manuals, an echo organ and a full set of
twenty-five chimes.
The
Most Reverend C. E. Byrne, present be�loved Bishop of Galveston, was
consecrated in theCathedral of St. Louis on November 10, 1918.
Father
Bernard Lee was appointed to succeed Monsignor Kirwin as rector of the
Cathedral, and was followed in office by Father Thomas A. Carney in August, 1928.
The
old Cathedral rectory had been built about the same time as the Cathedral, and
when Father Carney considered remodeling the building he found it impracticable;
instead, it was torn down and a new building of similar architectural style was
erected.
It
was in August, 1933, that Father Daniel P. O'Connell was called from his post
as president of the seminary to the Cathedral to become rector when Father
Carney was transferred to Dickinson. Having celebrated his Silver Jubilee in
1939, and having been honored with the title of Monsignor as a Domestic Prelate
in 1940, Monsignor O'Connell has taken his place among the long list of
priests who have directed the affairs of the Cathedral Parish for 100 years.
The esteem in which he is held throughout the city and Diocese is proof that
he has
followed well the traditions of his predecessors.
Such
is, in part, the story of historic St. Mary Cathedral, inseparable from the
history of the Diocese of Galveston. The solid permanence of its gray and
weather-stained walls bespeaks its survival through a century during which the
ambassadors of Christ have labored in order that ''all may meet in the unity
of faith and grow up unto the fullness of the age and stature of Christ.''
The solemn majesty of its aisles be�speaks the supplications sent up to God in
time of distress and the praise offered to Him at all times by those who were
cognizant of the truth of the motto inscribed in mosaic across the sanctuary:
Donmum
Dei decet sanctitudo
Sponsum ejus Christum adoremus in ea.
Holiness befits the House of God,
Christ, its Spouse, we adore in it.
St.
Mary Cathedral
Twenty-First and Church Streets
Texas' Oldest Cathedral
Galveston's Oldest Existing Church Building
Compiled
by John Cannady
While
the territory which is now Texas was under the jurisdiction of Mexico, the
established religion had been Roman Catholic. However, after 1836, with Texas' independence
from Mexico and the establishment of the Republic, denominations other than
Catholic came into the state and Catholicism began to wane.
In 1838, when the Rev. John Timon, C.M.
(Congregation of the Mission), was sent to investigate conditions in Texas, he
found only two priests. The Catholic people rightly complained far more of
spiritual neglect than of persecution.
And so Father Timon undertook to survey and
revive the spiritually starved field for many, many miles along the Gulf of
Mexico.
In 1840 Rome declared the Republic of Texas
a Prefecture Apostolic with the Very Rev. John Timon, C.M.. as the first
Prefect. Tirmon himself appointed the Very Rev. John Odin, C.M. as Vice-Prefect.
For seven years, Timon and Odin worked with
great zeal to build up the Catholic Church in Texas. They were fruitful
years, which saw ten new churches erected, four more started, the establishment
of a school at Brown's Settlement in Lavaca County, and another in Brazoria.
Eight Ursuline Sisters from New Orleans volunteered to open a school in
Galveston, and property for it was quickly acquired. This pioneer band
arrived in Galveston
in
January of 1847, and has the distinction of being the first community of
women
to come to Texas.
This Catholic "re-occupation" was
to culminate in the foundation of the Diocese of Galveston in 1847. Pope Pius
IX, acting upon the recommendation of the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore,
signed and sealed the pontifical bulls in Rome on May 4, 1847, erecting Texas
into a Bishopric and naming the Most Rev. John Odin, C.M., its first Bishop with
Ga1veston as the See City, or center of authority.
Principal cities in the Galveston Diocese of
one hundred and twenty-two years ago were: Galveston, Houston, Nacodoches,
Austin, Eagle Lake, San Antonio, Castroville, Victoria, Goliad, Refugio,
Brazoria, Corpus Christi, Laredo and Ysleta.
But what of the church - - the Cathedral,
the Seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Galveston? Historic - yes; but
a grandiose structure, comparable to the great cathedral churches of Europe
- well, hardly. Listen to the following account of the development of St.
Mary's
Cathedral Church, Galveston...
In 1840, the Rev. John Odin, CM., deciding
to expend his energies in the mission field of Texas, embarked from New Orleans
on a schooner bound for the Texas Coast. He arrived in Galveston early in 1841,
and decided to remain and establish a church.
Father John Timon, C.M., who had recently
been appointed Vicar Apostolic of Texas, in collaboration with Father Odin,
managed to procure enough money to begin construction of a wooden-frame church.
He was assisted in this venture by Colonel Michael B. Menard and N. U. Labadie,
prominent Galvestonians. Colonel Menard is to be remembered as the founder of
the City of Galveston.
On February 6, 1842, one month before his
consecration as Bishop, Odin dedicated the completed structure to the Blessed
Virgin Mary. The small, rectangular building measured 22 by 50 feet.
Odin purchased a five-room cottage as the
episcopal residence. He made an addition to the church structure of a small
sacristy, and bought thirty benches for the convenience of his parishioners.
On September 19, 1842, a storm toppled the
small church. This convinced Father Odin of the necessity of a more durable
structure; but in the meantime he made what improvements he could. The tiny
structure was propped up, and the next year a small tower was added to the
Cathedral. On March 21, 1842, Bishop Odin hung the mass-bell.
On May 11, 1844 Bishop Odin welcomed two
Vincentian priests, Fathers J. M. Paquin and John Brands, to Galveston. In
August of the same year, Galveston suffered through a costly epidemic of yellow
fever that resulted in the death of 400 citizens, one of them being Father
Paquin.
In 1845 the relatives of the dead Father
Paquin sent, by means of ships ballast, 500,000 bricks from Belgium to
Bishop Odin as a memorial to be used in the construction of the Bishop's
dream, a larger, permanent church.
The little frame church was moved out into
the street, and work on the new St. Mary was begun in 1847. The ceremony
of laying the cornerstone took place on Sunday, March 14th. Father Timon
came to
Galveston for the event and preached the sermon before a large crowd.
Father Louis Chambodut made an entry in the church's
baptismal register, a portion of which read:
In the
year of Our Lord, 1847, on the 14th of March; in the first
year of the Pontificate of His Holiness, Pius IX; in the 71st
year of the Independence of America; James K. Polk being President
of the United States of America; Pickney J. Henderson, Governor
of the State of Texas; John P. Sydnor, Mayor of the City of
Galveston; the Most Reverend John Marie Odin, Bishop of Claudiopolis
and Vicar Apostolic of Texas; assisted by the Very Rev. John
Timon, Visitor of the Congregation of the Mission in America... |
On November 26, 1848, the Cathedral was
ready for dedication. Once more Father John Timon was chosen for the principal
speaker because of his close association with, and his pioneer work in the
diocese.
It was during a yellow fever epidemic of
1853 that seven priests died of diseases contracted while ministering to the
sick and dying. In memory of these priests a marble monument was erected, and
still marks their graves near the entrance of the Cathedral.
The furious cataclysm that was the "War
Between the States" touched Galveston and St. Mary Cathedral for a brief,
blazing week during the Battle of Galveston which began on December 25, 1862,
and ended January 1, 1863. Shore batteries of Confederate artillery opened fire
on 5 Union gunboats anchored in Galveston Harbor, The federal vessels replied
with cannon shot, and the entire line of battle was illumined by explosions from
the batteries playing against the ships. The federal gunboat "Owasco" slowly
made her way down the channel, sweeping each street of the city with cannonading
as she passed. By December 31st, the U. S. forces of the 42nd Massachusetts
Regiment had secured control of Galveston.
However on New Year's Day, 1863, General
John B. Magruder ("Prince John" to his intimates) retook the island for the
Confederacy. Bringing up ships "armored" with cotton bales, "Prince
John" routed the federal forces and restored the "Stars and Bars" atop
Galveston flagstaffs, where they remained until the end of the war.
Bishop Claude Dubuis, C.M., was appointed to
succeed Bishop Odin as the second Bishop of the Galveston Diocese. Arriving in
Galveston in 1863 he found that the Civil War, which was still in progress, had
not left the Cathedral unscarred. He was to write.
The Cathedral is riddled with bullets. Only
on dry days can I say mass within its walls.
In 1873 a large and beautiful cross with a
lifesize corpus of the Crucified Savior, a gift of John L. Darraugh, prominent
Galveston business leader and Catholic layman, was placed in the Church. It is
now at the right side as you come into the Cathedral.
As grand as the Cathedral
seemed when erected, additions were deemed necessary to the exterior of the building.
Employing the aid of the brilliant Galveston architect, Nicholas J, Clayton
(who was, in fact, the state's first professional architect), Bishop Dubuis
had the central tower built in 1876.
In 1878 a new bell, and a statue of "Mary,
Star of the Sea," for the central tower, were donated by John L. Darraugh of
Galveston. During all of Galveston's hurricanes, and particularly the great
storm of 1900, many a Galvestonian cast desperate and hopeful glances upward at
the figure of Mary, the "protectress" of the city.
In 1884 the Cathedral received another
alteration when, under the direction of N. J. Clayton, its two front towers were
heightened to bring them into proper proportion with the central tower.
A consummate artist in all aspects of design
and building, Clayton, more than any other single architect, impressed his
mark upon the skyline of Galveston. He was a designer of churches, schools,
hospitals, business houses and residences (the Galveston City Directory of
1895-1896 lists 28 structures as being his designs), and a number of these
architectural masterpieces are still standing, You may see, for instance, in
Galveston: Grace Episcopal Church (1115 36th Street); the Ashbel Smith, or "Old Red" Building, of the University of Texas Medical Branch (916 Strand);
and the Gresham Residence, or "Bishop's Palace" (1402 Broadway).
On April 30, 1882, Bishop Nicholas A.
Gallagher was consecrated in St. Mary Cathedral and became the Diocese of
Galveston's third Bishop. Under his administration, he brought into the
Diocese the Jesuits, Basilians, Josephites, Paulists and Dominicans. He
introduced the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Good Shepherd Sisters,
Sisters of the Holy Family and Dominican Sisters.
Since their arrival, the Cathedral Parochial
School had been conducted by the Dominican Sisters in their own convent; but, in
1892 a new building was constructed on Cathedral property at 20th and Winnie
Streets. This new institution, dedicated on the first day of May, 1892, was used
as both a high school and grammar school until 1924 when the high school
department was discontinued.
In 1896 Father James N. Kirwin succeeded
Bishop Gallagher as rector of St. Mary. Father Kirwin was to serve the
Cathedral with religious and civic distinction until his death thirty years
later. A memorial plaque honoring his was eventually installed on the front
wall of the church.
In September of 1900 the City and the
Cathedral withstood the worst hurricane in the history of Galveston. It hit the
island on Saturday, September 8th, with the fury of 150 mile-an-hour winds and
20 to 30-foot waves. The City, with an average elevation of five feet, was
overwhelmed by this gigantic storm. Six thousand dead, 3600 demolished buildings
and property damage exceeding $25 million was the monumental toll.
Here is an excerpt from the newspaper
reportage concerning that day as written in the Galveston Tribune:
Of the half-dozen
churches in Galveston the Cathedral sustained the least damage. High
up, visible from a considerable distance, the statue of the Virgin
still stands... the parochial residence of Father Kirwin
As the storm grew
more furious, the inmates of the house believed the end was near for
them. Bishop Gallagher turned to Father Kirwin and indicating the several
assistants, said: "Prepare these priests for death"...
"We knew little of what had happened," Father Kirwin said, "except in our immediate
vicinity. Very early in the morning my assistants and I started to go through
the parish to see what we could do"... |
On Sunday the survivors began cleaning up
their stricken city. With the dead buried and order restored, the people of
Galveston began rebuilding. A grade-raising project was carried out whereby
homes and other buildings were jacked-up by means of hand-operated apparatus and
earth-fill employed to raise the level of the city. A causeway, two miles in
length, was constructed connecting Galveston with the mainland.
A seawall fronting the Gulf
of Mexico, 17 feet in height and 7� miles in length, was built. This protective
wall proved an effective barrier during the powerful hurricane of 1915 - only
8 lives were
lost and property damage was minimal.
In 1907 a celebration took place
commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Diocese of Galveston and of the
Cathedral and the 25th anniversary of Bishop Gallagher's episcopacy. In
preparation for the occasion, many improvements were made within the Cathedral.
The sanctuary floor was re-finished in mosaic tile. A new main altar of marble
was erected upon the foundations which were laid for it when the Cathedral
was built. Stained glass windows, manufactured in Germany, wore set into place
throughout the church. Five beautiful memorial windows were installed, four
in
the sanctuary and one over the main entrance of the church. The exterior of
the Cathedral and the episcopal residence were refinished employing a stuccoing
process.
On January 21, 1918, Bishop Gallagher
passed to his eternal reward. His body was interred beneath the floor of the
church
on
the right side of the bishop's chair.
Father Kirwin, journeying to the war front
in France at the personal request of General John J. Pershing, returned upon the
Bishop's death to serve as diocesan administrator.
On November 10, 1918, the Most Rev.
Christopher Byrne was consecrated Bishop in the Cathedral of St. Louis, St.
Louis, Missouri. In the same year he received the appointment as the fourth
Bishop of the Diocese of Galveston.
In 1921, in preparation for the Diamond
Jubilee of the Diocose and the Cathedral, marble altar railing and steps were
installed, two marble side altars erected, and the whole interior decorated
anew.
In late 1921, installation of a grand organ
for the Cathedral was started. A year later, the majestic voice of this
instrument - 3,000 pipes, 4 manuals, echo, organ, 25 chimes - was heard in a
dedicatory concert played by Pietro Yon, world
famous musician and composer. This "king of instruments," supervised in
construction by Anthony Rahe,then
organist of the cathedral, has been played by many of the greatest artists of
the world including Marcel Dupre and E. Power Biggs.
The historian steps back to gaze at this
singular church - this St. Mary Cathedral of Galveston Texas. And he recalls
the words written in an earlier history about this hallowed edifice.
Such
is, in part, the story of historic St. Mary Cathedral, inseparable from the history of the Diocese of Galveston.
The solid permanence of its gray and weather-stained walls bespeaks its
survival through a century during which the ambassadors of Christ have labored
in order that "all may meet in the unity of faith and grow up unto the
fullness of the age and stature of Christ." The solemn majesty of its aisles
bespeaks the supplications sent up to God in time of distress and the praise
offered to Him at all times by those who were cognizant of the truth of
the motto inscribed in mosaic across the sanctuary:
Domum
Dei decet sanctitudo;
Sponsum ejus Christum adoremus in ea.
(Holiness befits the house of God;
Christ, its Spouse, we adore in it.)
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