1850 The diocese of Nesqually—which later
became Seattle—was founded on May 31, 1850, but there had already been a
Catholic presence in the Northwest for many years, from the time when the first
Spanish explorers who entered (and named!) Juan de Fuca Strait and the San Juan
Islands. That presence became official when F. N. Blanchet and Modeste Demers of
Canada arrived at Fort Vancouver on November 24, 1838. Their ministry was not
only to the few Catholic settlers in the area, but (primarily) to the native
peoples. Using the “Catholic ladder” developed by Jesuit Father Peter DeSmet,
they preached the Gospel to local tribes in their own language, so to speak.
But God had already been worshiped on this ground for thousands of years.
Chief Sealth said: “To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their
resting place is hallowed ground. You wander far from the graves of your
ancestors and seemingly without regret. Your religion was written upon tablets
of stone by the iron finger of your God so that you could not forget. The Red
Man could never comprehend or remember it. Our religion is the traditions of our
ancestors—the dreams of our old men, given them in solemn hours of the night by
the Great Spirit; and the visions of our sachems, and is written in the hearts
of our people. Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being.”
On May 31, 1850, Pope Pius IX established the
Diocese of Nesqually and named Augustin Magloire Alexandre Blanchet its first
bishop. A. M. A. Blanchet’s brother, F. N. Blanchet, became the first Archbishop
of Portland (Portland thus became, by a curious turn of events, the second
archdiocese in the United States!). A. M. A. Blanchet took up residence in
Vancouver, Washington.
1851 January 23:
Bishop Blanchet dedicates first Cathedral of St. James in Vancouver,
Washington: “The Blessed Sacrament is placed in the tabernacle… The church,
dedicated to St. James is then, at this moment truly, the House of God, and the
Gate of Heaven. We can say now, The Lord has sanctified this house which was
built to establish His name here, and His eyes and His heart will always be
here.” Read more in the Centennial Gazette.
1856 Mother Joseph and the Sisters of Providence
arrive to assist Bishop Blanchet with his fledgling diocese.
Read
more in the Centennial Gazette.
1867
The legendary Seattle pioneer Francis Xavier Prefontaine made his first visit to
the settlement in December, 1867. He canvassed the entire population for
Catholics, found 10, of whom 3 attended the Mass he offered on Sunday in a
rented room! And yet, for some reason, Father Prefontaine did not give up on the
settlement. He rented a shanty at 3rd and Jefferson, and began to offer Mass
there. Though Bishop Blanchet told him that Seattle was “a lost cause,” Father
Prefontaine was convinced of its potential for growth. He bought a plot of land
which he cleared with his own hands.
1880 Father Prefontaine had come to admire
the work of the Sisters of the Holy Names at home in Canada. Founded by Blessed
Marie-Rose Durocher with a mission to educate the young, the congregation was
named in honor of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Their motto: “Jésus et
Marie, ma force et ma gloire”—“Jesus and Mary, my strength and my glory.” In
1880, Father Prefontaine purchased a lot for a new school at 2nd and Seneca, and
invited the Sisters of the Holy Names to come from Portland and open a school.
Their success was such that three years later they built a new, much larger
school at 7th and Jackson.
1884 Bishop Aegidius
Junger (consecrated Bishop of Nesqually in 1879) begins construction on a new
St. James Cathedral in Vancouver.
Read
more in the Centennial Gazette.
1895 Bishop Junger dies on December 27.
The Sisters of the Holy Names record the event in their
chronicle:
"Truly can it be said, 'In the midst of life we walk in the shadow of death.'
Hardly two weeks have passed since his Lordship visited…, gave Benediction…, and
spent some time in the community entertaining us in a fatherly manner, little
dreaming that the destroyer Death was so near at hand. Ever since our sisters
came to Bishop Junger’s diocese they have received
nothing but kindness at his hands; we realize that in his death we lose a true
father and sincere friend."
1896
On September 8, Edward J. O’Dea of Portland is consecrated Bishop of Nesqually,
in Vancouver, Washington, site of the first St. James Cathedral. Read more at
the Centennial Gazette. Even before
O’Dea arrives in Vancouver, Father Prefontaine writes to him to encourage
him to move to Seattle. "Seattle has become and will remain the
headquarters and chief battleground of all the elements hostile to the church.
The morale of the church militant requires the inspiring presence of her leader
where the battle wages fiercest," Father Prefontaine writes.
1903
Bishop O’Dea applies to Rome for formal permission to move his seat to Seattle,
and secures a plot of land at 9th and Marion on First Hill, overlooking Seattle.
In the meantime, on February 15, he establishes Our Lady of Good Help Church as his
pro-Cathedral. Preaching from the pulpit of the historic church, Bishop O’Dea
announces the move, and simultaneously announces the building of a new Cathedral
Church. "'Father Prefontaine’s Church,’ as it has been called for so long, will
now be the Bishop’s church,” reported The Progress. October 19-28, a week-long
Cathedral Fair in the old Armory raises
nearly $20,000 for the cathedral building fund. "Patronize the Fair in
every way you can," the Fair Bulletin reads. "If it is impossible for you
to attend it yourself, then talk your less enthusiastic neighbor into going.
Tell him how sorry you are you can't be present to take part; and, as a proof of
your sincerity, give him a couple of dollars to bring nick-nacks home for your
children." Meanwhile, Bishop O'Dea seeks out designs for the new
Cathedral.
1904
On November 13, at 10:30am, Bishop O’Dea founds the Cathedral parish and
blesses St. Edward's chapel on the corner of
Terry and Columbia. "No matter how many grand churches we may build, if we
are not consistent and spiritual-minded we shall not profit thereby," said
Bishop O'Dea. "One should join in the building of temples to God through
fervor, through a desire to see more charity, more and higher degree of
morality, love, and harmony among Christians. The glory of God is the
ultimate end sought in spreading religion. Our whole business here is to
know and serve God." The architect of St. Edward’s Chapel, James Stephen, had a significant
role to play in Seattle history. He was the official architect for the Seattle
School District, and some of the buildings he designed (the Northwest School on
Capitol Hill, John Hay School, Lincoln High, Everett High, and Thompson Hall at
Washington State University) have become area landmarks. Originally a
cabinet-maker and organbuilder, Stephen learned architecture through a
correspondence course (not unusual at time time!). Bishop O’Dea invited him to
submit a design for the Cathedral, and though Stephen didn’t win that contract,
he did build St. Edward’s Chapel. He was also responsible for the rebuilding of
Our Lady of Good Help when the historic church was “moved” to make way for the
railroad.
1905 On November 12, 1905, almost exactly one year after the parish was founded,
Bishop O’Dea lays the cornerstone of the Cathedral. "New Catholic Cathedral at
Corner of Ninth Avenue and Marion to Be Given to World This Afternoon," the
local paper reported. A significant amount of work
has already been done, and the towers have begun to rise on the west end of the
building. Gathered with priests and visiting prelates and an assembly of
thousands, Bishop O’Dea seals the stone with a silver trowel. In it, he places a
lead container with photos of the earlier cathedrals (there were two of them!),
names of the priests of the diocese, copies of the newspapers of the day, coins,
medals, and other souvenirs. Longtime parishioner Frances Kelly writes:
“My aunt, Alice Fairbairn, was a student at St. Rose's Academy in 1905. The
Academy was located on Broadway near E. Madison St. and staffed by the Holy
Names Sisters. A group of the students, including my Aunt Alice, played the
violin at the groundbreaking ceremony for St. James Cathedral in 1905. The
historic significance of this occasion was important to my aunt, as we heard her
mention it many times in her later years. She was about age 14 at the time of
the ceremony, and lived to be 100."
By Faith were thy spires
uplifted,
Grand Cathedral crowning our hill!
1907
On September 11, 1907, the Holy See grants permission to move Cathedral to
Seattle. "Seattle will be Catholic Center," the P-I reported. "Rome
Yields to Facts." On December 15, the doors of the new Cathedral are opened for the first
time. The occasion is an organ recital given by Dr. Franklin Sawyer Palmer, on
the brand-new west gallery organ. The first piece played on the new instrument,
built by the noted Boston firm of Hutchings-Votey: Bach’s
Grand Fantasia and Fugue in G minor. As 1907 draws to a close, Bishop O’Dea
gets impatient to move in to his new Cathedral. He had hoped to dedicate on
Thanksgiving Day, November 29. But there are various delays. The organ isn’t
finished; the tabernacle key goes missing; part of the altar rail disappears.
O’Dea keeps up a steady flow of correspondence with Benziger Brothers in
Chicago, who supply most of the furnishings for the Cathedral; and some of this
correspondence gets quite technical (instructions for how to install the altar
rail and the sanctuary lamp, for example!). At the same time, Bishop O’Dea is
still waiting for official word from Rome. In a letter dated October 7, 1907,
with his Cathedral almost ready for dedication, Bishop O’Dea asks yet again for
permission to remove his See to Seattle and to change the name of the Cathedral
from “SS. James and Augustine” to “St. James.” Permission is granted on
September 11, 1907, but nail-biting delays prevent it from reaching Bishop O’Dea
until the end of October. On December 22, at 3:00pm, the Cathedral
is dedicated; more
than ten years have gone by since Father Prefontaine first suggested to Bishop
O’Dea that he consider moving his seat to Seattle. "As I look out over
this immense congregation today," Bishop Carroll states in his homily on that
occasion, "my thoughts go back to the year 1850, in the history of Washington,
when Bishop Blanchet had as his episcopal territory the newly created territory
of Washington. He had very few souls to which to administer the comforts
of religion... What a vast change has come over this country since then.
A few years ago Seattle was unknown. Today a city has been built up that
bids fair to outstrip every other city on the Pacific Coast."
1908 Acoustical Difficulties. In February, 1908, the Catholic
Northwest Progress notes: "Work is being pushed to correct the
unfavorable acoustics of the Cathedral, and it is expected that in a short time
the evil will be altogether eradicated, and although the acoustic properties of
the Cathedral are not all that could be desired, still they are not as bad as
one would be led to believe by the article which appeared in last Sunday’s issue
of the Times. The article referred to was published without any
interview having been held with those in charge of the Cathedral."
The Catholic Northwest Progress reports March 13, 1908: "By means of a
simple and practical device originated by
Father Hanly, the defective acoustics of the Cathedral have been
entirely remedied. The difficulty seemed to center in the great
central dome of the building, and by the simple contrivance of a screen
resembling an inverted parachute placed over the entrance to the dome, it has
been removed." (!)
On April 29, 1908, Bishop O'Dea celebrates the Silver Jubilee of his
ordination to the priesthood. In June of the same year, the first priest
is ordained in St. James Cathedral: "Rev. Mr. Lighthouse of the
Benedictine Order," according to Robert Snodgrass's 1929 history.
1909 March 4.
Monsignor F. X. Prefontaine dies at age 71. In his 40 years of ministry, he has
changed Seattle history. The Sisters of the Holy Names record the event:
"News came at eleven o’clock this morning that our venerable chaplain was failing
rapidly and at once Sister Superior and Sister Mary Eleazar hastened to his home
where they met Sister Vincent of Providence Hospital and Sister M. Hillary.
Together they prayed at his bedside and assisted at the administration of the
last rites of Holy Church. At 3:30 death came peacefully, our aged chaplain
having been solaced in his last hours by the presence at his bedside of Right
Reverend E. J. O’Dea, D.D., Bishop of Seattle, who administered Holy Viaticum to
the dying priest and gave him all the last indulgences. May he rest in peace."
Meanwhile, George Mahoney refuses to set foot
in St. James Cathedral.
Read
the story here.
1912
Immediately after their Easter vacation, the Sisters of the Holy Names move
into their new school building on the corner of Terry and Columbia, the site of
the old pro-Cathedral Chapel. Bishop O'Dea blesses the new Cathedral School on
April 21, 1912. The school is very modern for its time, with a
rainy day play area and gymnasium in the attic. Within three years, the
enrollment has grown from 96 to over 300.
1914
Father Theodore M. Ryan, ordained at the Grand Seminary at Montreal (the first
native-born Seattleite to be ordained a priest), says solemn Mass in St. James
on December 27.
1916
In January, Rev. W. J. Noonan, Pastor, notes: "Obstacles to our progress
which have loomed large and threatening have been overcome and difficulties have
been smoothed from our pathway by His merciful interposition."
On February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, after an unusually
heavy snowfall, the Cathedral’s great dome collapses. The Cathedral, dedicated
just nine years before, is closed for more than a year for repairs. (Read
the sisters' first hand account.) The
Catholics of the northwest contribute generously to the rebuilding of the
Cathedral, and many renew the gifts they made nine years before.
Read
more about the Dome collapse here. In the same year, Mother
Cabrini opens "Columbus Sanitarium"--later Cabrini Hospital--on the corner of
Madison Street and Terry Avenue. An advertisement for the Hospital states: "On
the roof garden of the Columbus Sanitarium those who are weary from strenuous
mental work or the cares of a busy life, may breathe the pure invigorating air
that sweeps down from the lofty snow-capped peaks of the Cascades and rugged
Olympics, wholesome air that is tempered and spiced by the salt winds from the
ocean. One may enjoy from the roof garden unsurpassed vistas of Puget
sound, Lake Washington and the surrounding ranges of mountains."
1917
On March 18, the Cathedral reopens, with a strikingly different interior, the work of local
architect John Graham. Where the dome had been is a flat ceiling with a fresco
copy of Raphael’s Ascension. There is one improvement: the acoustics are
significantly better without the dome! The Progress notes: "The
whole occasion was marked by a feeling of satisfaction much similar to that
experienced when the building was first completed 11 years before. It is
to be hoped that someday circumstances will permit the replacement of the great
dome.”
Read more about the restored Cathedral here.
On July 25, a bishop is consecrated at St. James Cathedral for
the first time: The Very Rev. J. R. Crimont, SJ, is made Bishop of Alaska.
1918 Seattle is struck by the great flu epidemic.
Read more here.
1919
The Cathedral’s stained-glass windows, the work of
Charles Connick,
are blessed
by Bishop O’Dea on Sunday, March 23. On March 25, Rt. Rev. Joseph McGrath is consecrated
bishop of Baker City, Oregon. On April 10, Cathedral pastor
Father William Noonan
departs for his new parish of St. Patrick's, Tacoma, and
Msgr. James Stafford
becomes the third pastor of St.
James Cathedral. Msgr. Stafford is a brilliant fund-raiser. Thanks to him, St.
James Cathedral becomes one of the first parishes on the west coast to use the
“envelope system” for weekly offerings, something we now take for granted.
Read more about Monsignor Stafford.
1920 Monsignor Stafford launches an enormous and
highly successful campaign of debt reduction. The girls of the short-lived
"Cathedral High School" publish the following useful "Rules for the First Years"
in their yearbook:
Beware of traffic at stairs; wait for signals before
crossing stairs.
If you lose your way follow the crowd.
Don't fear seniors; they never notice freshmen.
Don't play tag in the halls, it bothers juniors.
Don't listen to sophomores as they like to show their
authority, but they are only freshmen once removed.
Dark Night, Fat Man, Banana Peel, Virginia Reel.
Most of us think that the school rules were made for
someone else.
1921
Bishop Edward J. O'Dea celebrates his silver jubilee on September 8. He writes
in his Christmas greeting that the Church in Seattle had made “truly wonderful
progress,” but stresses that there is a long way to go yet. “The narrative of
His beloved disciple, ‘He came into His own, and His own received Him not’, is
as true today as it was on the first Christmas twenty centuries ago…. we cannot
help lamenting the fact that in this year of Our Lord the world is far from
enjoying that peace which was proclaimed on the Judean hillsides two thousand
years ago. And why? The Church has not failed in her divine mission.
Christianity has not failed. Christ our Lord has not failed…. Let us hope and
pray that He who came to bring that peace on earth which ‘the world does not
know’ will bless the deliberations of the representatives of the nations now
engaged in the peace conference in Washington, and that the peace proclaimed on
the first Christmas morn will return to earth once more and abide with us all
forever.”
1922
On February 5, the first ever radio broadcast of a Catholic sermon is broadcast
from St. James Cathedral, where Paulist fathers Quinnan and Donegan are giving a
series of mission sermons.
1924
On March 16,
O’Dea High School is dedicated, staffed by the Christian Brothers of Ireland.
"As a token of grateful respect from the parish, our bishop's name was given to
the new institution."
Between the boys of O’Dea and the children of the Cathedral School, there
are
hundreds of young people around the Cathedral every day! Each day, Terry Avenue
is closed off to become a playground for the children.
1926
Six Seattle priests are made monsignori by Bishop O'Dea and Pope Pius
XI, including Father Hanly, the Cathedral's first pastor; W. J. Noonan, the
Cathedral's second pastor; J. G. Stafford, the current pastor; and Theodore M.
Ryan, first Seattleite to be ordained a priest.
Monsignor Stafford broadcasts the Good Friday
and Easter services over the radio.
1927 A sanctuary organ
is dedicated on February 6 in a concert featuring "noted New York organist,
Pietro Yon." The work of Casavant Frères, this
new organ is designed to complement the Hutchings-Votey organ in the west
gallery, and is equipped with state-of-the-art electrical wiring that allows
both organs to be played from a single console. The Progress notes,
"CATHEDRAL ORGAN IS MASTERPIECE OF BUILDERS' ART." And on the concert
itself: "The perfection of tone quality drawn from the huge ensemble, the
precision of the attacks and the grandeur and volume were absolutely thrilling."
On September 6, the Cathedral's pastor
addresses the National Conference of Catholic Charities with a discourse on "the
Social Value of the Parish." "The parish is the smallest social unit of
the Church. It is a complete spiritual and social world in itself, barring
of course its dependence on higher authority for its charter of powers.
Christ, its King, is enthroned upon its Altar, around which is centered all its
life and activity... Here the priest, 'the other Christ,' endowed with all the
powers of His priesthood, governs and guides His flock 'as one having
authority.' Here the faithful, rich and poor assemble as in a peaceful
pasture to be nurtured and guided in the ways of sanctification and truth.
In a word, the parish is a complete spiritual kingdom.
"We have said that the parish is the small unit
in the divine organization of the Church. Now this unit to be effective
must be thoroughly organized."
1928
On March 15, Bishop Hayasaka, the first native prelate of Japan, visits St.
James and says Mass in the Cathedral.
On Thursday, November 22, the Silver
Anniversary of the Motu Proprio of Piux X on the Reform of Church Music is
celebrated with Vespers of the Feast of St. Cecilia.
1929
On March 12, Father Robert Armstrong is consecrated Bishop of Sacramento,
California.
The Silver Jubilee of the Cathedral Parish is celebrated with great fanfare
November 24-27. "Twenty-five years labor, sacrifice, and achievement in
the service of God and humanity will be commemorated in a three-day jubilee
celebration of St. James Cathedral beginning next Sunday," the Progress reported
on November 22. "It is twenty-five years since the parish life began with
the first Mass offered by the Right Rev. Bishop O'Dea in St. Edward's Chapel...
The parishioners of St. James' Cathedral will make Sunday, November 24, a
general Communion of thanksgiving for all the blessings Almighty God has
showered on the parish during the twenty-five years of its existence. They
are especially requested to remember all the benefactors, both living and
deceased, who have, in any way, contributed to the building up of the parish."
Monsignor Stafford provided some interesting statistics on the spiritual works
of the parish in those twenty-five years: "Some twenty of our school boys
are now in seminaries preparing for the priesthood... Eleven of our school girls
are in various convents. Communions in the Cathedral have totaled
1,500,000 and there have been an equal number of confessions heard. Over
2,700 baptisms have been administered, 2,200 marriages have been performed,
1,100 persons have been confirmed, and there have been more than 1,500 burials
from this church."
Bishop O'Dea himself is home in bed on doctor's
orders, and the solemn Mass is celebrated by Bishop Armstrong of Sacramento.
For his theme, he takes the words of the psalm: "I have loved the beauty
of Thy house, the place where Thy glory dwelleth... I am minded of the beautiful
love which David had of old for the House of God... For twenty-five years,
the cross atop the Cathedral has carried a message of faith to the visitor here;
for twenty-five years the doors of this parish's church have been open to those
who seek grace and heavenly solace. How many have been healed and
comforted in this holy temple of God!"
The silver Jubilee concludes with a social
affair on Tuesday, December 3, at the Olympic Hotel. "Present and former
members of the parish renewed acquaintanceship at a great card party and social.
Bridge and whist were played in the Spanish Ballroom and a social hour was
enjoyed, to the accompaniment of the Olympic orchestra, in the Venetian Room.
Many prizes were awarded for the successful players at the card party. The
chief prize awarded, and a rich one, was the Silver Jubilee Hupmobile Sedan."
1932
On November 24, Thanksgiving Day, Bishop Edward J. O’Dea celebrates his Golden
Jubilee with thousands of the faithful he has served for fifty years of
priesthood. Just one month later, on Christmas Day, Bishop O’Dea dies. He
has
built dozens and dozens of hospitals, orphanages, schools, and churches, and has
led the diocese through a time of tremendous growth.
Bishop O’Dea died on Christmas Day, 1932, just two days after the 50th
anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. His last words to his family
and his brother priests gathered around him were, “God bless you all.”
Read
more about Bishop O'Dea.
Bishop Shaughnessy's installation, October 13, 1933
Father Stafford greets the new bishop in this 1933 Progress
photo.
Progress article announcing that
Father William O'Neill will
succeed Father James G. Stafford as pastor.
1933
On Sunday, June 18--the Feast of Corpus Christi--Father (later Bishop) Gill
sings his first Solemn Mass at St. James Cathedral. "After Mass, the
solemn procession filed from the sanctuary down the nave of the church amid the
resounding strains of the jubilant 'Tollite Hostias' by Saint-Saens, bringing to
a close a ceremony of perfect beauty, of joy to the parish and of supreme
happiness to the young priest."
October 13. Gerald Shaughnessy, S. M. is installed as the second
Bishop of Seattle. He came to Seattle from Washington, D.C., where he had
gained experience as an administrator, and had published a study of Catholic
immigrant populations in the United States entitled, Has the Immigrant Kept
the Faith? At his installation, Bishop Shaughnessy pays tribute to Bishop
O’Dea, saying, “His crozier is in my hand, his ring is upon my finger, his cross
is upon my breast, and the golden chain of his love binds us in sacred unity. We
shall strive to continue his work and his policy.” But in the midst of the Great
Depression, it proves impossible to continue Bishop O’Dea’s model of building
and growth. Bishop Shaughnessy spent most of his time reducing debt throughout
the diocese. Never as popular as his predecessor, Bishop Shaughnessy
nevertheless led the diocese through some of its most difficult years,
financially speaking, and he also spoke out courageously against racism and
prejudice after Pearl Harbor.
Read more about Bishop Shaughnessy.
1935 On Palm Sunday, 1935, Dr. Palmer suffered a massive
stroke. Legend has it that the stroke occurred at the console of the organ
during high Mass; though the Progress reported more discreetly that Palmer
collapsed “after a rehearsal with his singers.” For weeks he lingered at
Providence Hospital, surrounded by his family and friends. He died June 5.
During his years at St. James Cathedral, Dr. Palmer had converted to the
Catholic faith, though his wife and family had not. At his request, the funeral
liturgy was read aloud in English at the conclusion of the Mass. Palmer wanted
his non-Catholic family and friends to experience the beauty of the liturgy—and
to understand it as well.
Read
more about Dr. Palmer here.
Father William O’Neill succeeds Msgr. Stafford as pastor of the Cathedral.
Msgr. James Gordon Stafford led the Cathedral Parish with extraordinary energy
and vision for sixteen years. Looking back at his career, the Progress
said, “Although necessity forced his genius to manifest itself in financial
enterprise on behalf of the Church, it is rather in the artistic realm of the
Church’s liturgical ceremonies that hit has had its most complete expression.
Under his masterful direction the Cathedral boys choir was developed and
historic ceremonies were clothed with such perfection of liturgical wealth and
beauty that they are known and admired by priests and prelates throughout the
country.” Tall, thin, quiet, scholarly, Father O'Neill is quite a contrast
to the dynamic Msgr. Stafford, under whom he served as an assistant for many
years. Father O’Neill suffers from health problems all his life, and is ill
during most of his pastorate.
1945
The Cathedral celebrates being completely out of debt for the first time
since its construction.
1948
After Bishop Shaughnessy suffers a severe stroke, Bishop Thomas A.
Connolly—Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco—is appointed coadjutor bishop with
right of succession (February 28). He is installed on April 21.
1949
Shifting land destroys the foundation of Our Lady of Good Help Church, and it is
razed to the ground.
The numbers of priests are such that the Rectory is renovated. A third story is
added with additional rooms for the numerous priests in residence.
1950
In honor of the Centennial of the Diocese of Seattle, the Cathedral
undergoes a major renovation, and is redecorated inside and out. Major changes
include the addition of statues and a new window on the west façade, and a
total transformation of the interior.
Read more about the 1950 renovation here. "Cathedral
redecorated for Jubilee is Triumph of Breath-Taking Beauty," the Catholic
Northwest Progress reports on Friday, September 8. The first Mass in the
new Cathedral is celebrated for the children of the Cathedral School on
Wednesday, September 13, 1950.
1951
Seattle becomes an Archdiocese, and Bishop Connolly becomes Seattle’s first
Archbishop. Seattle priest Father Joseph P. Dougherty is consecrated the first
bishop of Yakima in St. James Cathedral.
1954
Cathedral Pastor Msgr. Gallagher dies on July 8 and is buried from the Cathedral
on July 15.
1956
Father Gill is consecrated a Bishop at St. James Cathedral on May 31. As Auxiliary Bishop
of Seattle, he continues to serve as pastor of the Cathedral.
1957
At the Golden Jubilee of the Cathedral’s dedication, on December 17, Francis Cardinal Spellman
of New York presides at a solemn Jubilee Mass. Bishop Gill spoke
eloquently about St. James, and his love for the place and its people shone
clearly in his words: “Holy, Holy, Holy is this place; for it is the House of
God, and the Gate of Heaven… May it endure for ages and may the superabundant
blessing of God rest forever upon all who, in His Name, rule it, serve it, use
it and love it.”
1962
The Second Vatican Council opens in Rome.
"To think that I should live to see this day!" Archbishop Connolly wrote. Bishop Gill said: "Vatican II
is a historical moment, but more--history itself moving."
1964
The Sisters move into the new Cathedral Convent
on Columbia Street at Ninth Avenue. In August, Archbishop Connolly
celebrates his Silver Episcopal Jubilee. He was ordained Auxiliary Bishop
of San Francisco in old St. Mary's Cathedral, August 24, 1939. Bishop John
Scanlan of Honolulu, says in his homily for the Jubilee: "He has judged
correctly the loyalty, the spirit of sacrifice, and the capacity for achievement
of priests and people. What you have accomplished under his leadership bears
testimony to the accuracy of his judgment and the forcefulness of his
initiative."
1968
Read more about this "Year of Contradiction"
here.
1972
After sixty-one years, the Cathedral Grade School closes and consolidates with
St. Mary’s School. For the next ten years, Immaculate High School will
occupy the school building.
1973
On April 2, 1973, a disturbed man destroys the statue of the Sacred Heart in the
north transept, and damages the crucifix and candlesticks on the altar.
On November 4, Bishop Gill installs the first lay Eucharistic Ministers.
Sister Margaret Jane Downey and Sister Maureen Maloney, both Sisters of the Holy
Names, are the first to be commissioned. Read more about the ministry of
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
here. One week later, on November 11, 1973,
Bishop Gill dies suddenly in Washington, D.C., where he
is attending the
National Conference of Catholic Bishops. His obituary says, Bishop Gill
"was a thinker, a man 'who always had a book in his hand' and he was a man who
got things done... Scholar, tireless worker, tolerant man of God: Thomas
E. Gill. The city he served so admirably will miss him."
1974 Father William E. Gallagher
becomes the seventh pastor of St. James
Cathedral. In the same year, Archbishop Connolly announces his retirement.
During 1974 and 1975, the Cathedral interior is renovated for the third time in
its history. New carpeting is installed and a variety of other changes are
made.
1975
Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen is installed on May 22, at the Seattle Center
Arena. He is the second Archbishop, the
fifth Bishop of Seattle. Read more about Archbishop Hunthausen's early
days in Seattle
here.
1981
Father Gallagher hires Dr. James Savage as Director of Music. Within a few
years, Savage turns the music program around, establishing the men’s chant
choir, the Women of St. James Schola, and, later, the Youth Music Program.
Get a glimpse of the 80s at St. James through this foray into the
Parish Bulletin.
1987
In the wake of a Vatican investigation of Archbishop Hunthausen’s bold and
controversial ministry, Thomas J. Murphy is appointed coadjutor Archbishop of
Seattle. On October 1, Archbishop Hunthausen celebrates his Silver
Episcopal Jubilee.
1988 Father Gallagher retires. On Sunday,
July 24,
Father Michael G. Ryan is installed as the eighth Pastor of St. James Cathedral.
The Progress reports: "Father Michael G. Ryan remarked during his homily
that his is the newest name on a list of 'formidable and intimidating' former
pastors. He intoned the names Hanley, Noonan, Stafford, O'Neill, Gill, and
two Gallaghers. 'I do qualify in at least one respect,' he added. 'I
have an Irish name. Ryan will fit right in.'"
Read Father Ryan's homily on the occasion of his installation as pastor
here. Read about Father Ryan's appointment and the Cathedral prior to its renovation
here.
1991
On Thursday, April 18, Archbishop Connolly dies at the age of 91. "A
formidable, powerful man who believed wholeheartedly in authority and tradition
in the Church, Archbishop Connolly knew what he wanted and made his moves
without hesitation. Confounding those who tried to peg him as
conservative, however, he was also an outspoken advocate of civil rights,
supporting a fair housing ordinance and a boycott of Seattle schools to protest
inferior education for minorities," says the Seattle Times.
In the same year, Archbishop Hunthausen retires and Archbishop Murphy becomes Archbishop of
Seattle. The weekend of August 10-11, 1991, Archbishop Hunthausen preached at
all Masses;
read his homily here. The next day, Monday, August
12, an interfaith prayer service celebrates Archbishop Hunthausen's ministry.
He challenges those present with these words: "We are forever asking
ourselves: What is sacred and absolute? What is profane and
temporal? What do we keep and what do we discard? What gives us
life? What denies us life? What leads us to God? What takes us
away? What does the Gospel say about making war? Or making love?
These are not easy questions."
1992
An arson fire devastates the Cathedral Chapel and sacristy, causing $1,000,000
in damage.
1994
The Cathedral is restored and renovated, in keeping with the teachings of
the Second Vatican Council. The dust of nearly ninety years is
removed, and the glory of the building shines forth as never before. Major
changes include the moving of the altar to the center of the building; the
installation of an oculus, or skylight; new east apse windows, ambo, altar, and
baptismal font; and more. Click
here to read about the process of planning the restoration.
Click here
to read an essay about the work in progress.
The Cathedral is rededicated on December 22,
1994. "We celebrate tonight the dedication of our
cathedral church, but we need to be reminded that a church building, be it a
great cathedral or a humble chapel, fulfills its highest calling not by being
the church, but by becoming a house for the church, a house for the people of
God. And we are that people," Father Ryan said in his homily for Vespers on
December 21, 1994.
Click
here to read an essay about the Cathedral's rededication.
1997
On June 26, Archbishop Murphy dies of leukemia. He is the first to be buried in
the Cathedral crypt.
On December 17,
Alexander J. Brunett is installed as the new Archbishop of
Seattle.
1999
In April, Messiaen's Trois Petites Liturgies de la presence divine is
presented in concert under the direction of Dr. James Savage.
On December 24, at the beginning of the Midnight Mass, the opening of the
new
ceremonial bronze doors by German artist
Ulrich Henn marks the beginning of the
Great Jubilee Year 2000.
The visit of the relics of St. Therese
of Lisieux on January 22, 2000, attracted the largest crowds of any
Mass in the Cathedral's history. Estimates ranged from 6,000
to 10,000!
2000
During the
Great Jubilee Year 2000, thousands of pilgrims
find their way to St.
James Cathedral for weekly celebrations of Vespers and Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament and for dozens of special
Jubilee liturgies for athletes, artists, firefighters, and much more.
On January
22, the visit of the relics of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus bring around
6,000 visitors to the Cathedral. Read more
here.
George Thomas is ordained Auxiliary Bishop of
Seattle on January 28, 2000.
During this year, the Cathedral publishes House
of God, Gate of Heaven, an extraordinary portrait of the Cathedral’s history and
community in words and pictures. Also, the
Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy
Millennium Organ, a new East Apse organ by the Los Angeles firm of Manuel
Rosales, replaces the Casavant.
2001
In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11,
thousands come to the
Cathedral to mourn and to pray for peace.
2002
The first Schola Cantorum Choir Camp, a summer music
camp for young people, is held, August 19-23.
September 3-11, the Cathedral hosts Nine Days to 9/11, a novena of prayer in
remembrance of the victims of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Two forums
for discussion and special Masses culminate in a solemn requiem.
On September 20, six bishops, 160 priests, and 500 faithful gather to honor
retired Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen on the 40th anniversary of his episcopal
ordination.
2003
On January 17, nearly 3,000 people gather at St. James for an interfaith prayer
for peace, followed by a procession down Broadway to St. Mark's Cathedral on
Capitol Hill.
On February 2,
a new tabernacle is dedicated. The tabernacle is the work of
Ulrich Henn, the same artist who created the Cathedral’s ceremonial bronze
doors.
March 5-25, the Cathedral hosts a series of Masses and prayers
on the outbreak of the war in Iraq.
In November, the parish launches a Centennial Campaign, to
raise more than $6 million to create a new Pastoral Outreach Center for the
parish as well as an outdoor gathering space, and to establish endowments for
the preservation of the Cathedral, the Hunthausen Fund, and the Scholarship
Fund.
In January, the Solanus Casey Center, a joint project of the Archdiocesan
Housing Authority, Detention Ministry, and St. James Cathedral, opens at James
and Terry. It is a resource center for people in need.
January 23: As part of the
parish’s Centennial celebration, a special Mass was held to honor the Sisters of
the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, who have been an integral part of ministry at
St. James since 1912.
View the album. April 2-20: A series of special prayers and liturgies on the death of Pope John
Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI, including a solemn Requiem Mass
celebrated by Archbishop Brunett on Friday, April 7. View an album
of the events related to the passing of the Holy Father and the election of Pope
Benedict XVI on April 19.
April 19: The Renaissance
altarpiece by Neri di Bicci (1456) returns to the Cathedral Chapel in a festive
parade after being restored by the Seattle Art Museum. Album: Neri Di Bicci Procession.
May 16: Anglican and Roman Catholic Members of ARCIC gather in the Cathedral for
a special celebration of Vespers on the occasion of the promulgation of the
shared statement Mary, Grace and Hope in Christ
June 6: Archbishop Brunett ordains Eusebio Elizondo, M. Sp. S., and Joseph Tyson
auxiliary bishops of Seattle
October 21: A special Mass is celebrated by Bishop Elizondo to mark the
conclusion of the Year of the Eucharist
November 13: Archbishop Brunett blesses the parish’s new Pastoral Outreach
Center on the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of St. James
Cathedral. View the photo album.
November 20: A Year of Prayer and Renewal, a parish program to prepare for the
Centennial Year of St. James Cathedral, begins. Read the Vision Statement: Christ our Cornerstone.
View the album.
December 8: On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we mark the 40th
anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council with solemn Mass,
followed by an evening of conversation with retired Archbishop Raymond G.
Hunthausen.
January 16-19
St. James Cathedral hosts the national Cathedral Ministry Conference, a
gathering of Cathedral pastors and lay staff from across the country.
Archbishop Brunett celebrates Mass for the 200+ Cathedral pastors and lay staff
on Tuesday, January 17 April The Mystery of Faith, a parish series on the Mass,
spans five weeks during the Easter season. The series includes
presentations at Mass, bulletin inserts, and discussion. (This series was
recently accepted for publication by World Library Publications.) May Completion of the Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy
Courtyard. View the album. June Archbishop Brunett ordains seven men to the priesthood,
the largest group of new ordinands in more than 30 years.
View the photo
album. July 25 Parish celebration of the Feast of St. James--and
of the 40th anniversary of ordination of pastor Father Michael G. Ryan.
View the photo
album. 2007
View the Liturgy Photo Album for 2007
March 24 The
first Archdiocesan Day of Reconciliation, in which many priests from across the
Archdiocese and about 500 of the faithful take part. May Improvements to the St. Anthony Shrine and the Marion
and Terry entrance to the Cathedral are made. The Mary Shrine is also
restored. July 25 Solemn celebration of
the Centennial of St. James Cathedral.
Click
here
to view the album.
On December 22,
we mark the centennial of the dedication of our
Cathedral, and the conclusion of our three-year centennial observance. Click
here
for an album. Click here to explore some of the many celebrations of this
milestone in our history!
February 20. Governor Christine Gregoire creates
Washington’s New Americans Policy Council today in a signing ceremony at our own
Pastoral Outreach Center.
March 9. St. James Cathedral is honored with a visit from
H.R.H. Prince Philippe, Crown Prince of the Belgians, in Seattle visiting
Microsoft, Starbucks, and other local businesses.
June 22. Jean
Vanier, founder of the L’Arche Communities for people with
disabilities, speaks in the Cathedral.
June 29. We mark the beginning of the
Year of St. Paul
with the celebration of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles.
July 8. Archbishop Alex J. Brunett observes the fiftieth
anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood with a
Mass of Thanksgiving
and a festive celebration.
October 2. Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, speaks in Cathedral
Place Hall.
December 21. A major
snowstorm
hits Seattle, and Mass attendance is down by 80%.
February 11-12. It was a privilege to host the funeral
liturgies for Archbishop Emeritus Alexander J. Brunett, who died January 31,
2020, at the age of 86. Click here
for the album.
March 11. In an effort to stem the spread of the
coronavirus, Archbishop Paul D.
Etienne suspends all public Masses in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
A unique first-hand account of
Cathedral History from the beginning to 2007
1856
On November 12, 1905, almost exactly one year after the parish was founded,
Bishop O’Dea lays the cornerstone of the Cathedral. "New Catholic Cathedral at
Corner of Ninth Avenue and Marion to Be Given to World This Afternoon," the
local paper reported. A significant amount of work
has already been done, and the towers have begun to rise on the west end of the
building. Gathered with priests and visiting prelates and an assembly of
thousands, Bishop O’Dea seals the stone with a silver trowel. In it, he places a
lead container with photos of the earlier cathedrals (there were two of them!),
names of the priests of the diocese, copies of the newspapers of the day, coins,
medals, and other souvenirs. Longtime parishioner Frances Kelly writes:
“My aunt, Alice Fairbairn, was a student at St. Rose's Academy in 1905. The
Academy was located on Broadway near E. Madison St. and staffed by the Holy
Names Sisters. A group of the students, including my Aunt Alice, played the
violin at the groundbreaking ceremony for St. James Cathedral in 1905. The
historic significance of this occasion was important to my aunt, as we heard her
mention it many times in her later years. She was about age 14 at the time of
the ceremony, and lived to be 100."
The silver Jubilee concludes with a social
affair on Tuesday, December 3, at the Olympic Hotel. "Present and former
members of the parish renewed acquaintanceship at a great card party and social.
Bridge and whist were played in the Spanish Ballroom and a social hour was
enjoyed, to the accompaniment of the Olympic orchestra, in the Venetian Room.
Many prizes were awarded for the successful players at the card party. The
chief prize awarded, and a rich one, was the Silver Jubilee Hupmobile Sedan."
1951
1957
1991
April 2-20: A series of special prayers and liturgies on the death of Pope John
Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI, including a solemn Requiem Mass
celebrated by Archbishop Brunett on Friday, April 7. 
