Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (San Jose)

Coordinates: 37°20′03″N 121°53′27″W / 37.334036°N 121.890816°W / 37.334036; -121.890816
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph
San José in California
DeaneryDeanery 3
Clergy
Bishop(s)Oscar Cantú
Vicar(s)
  • Rev. Fr. Gerardo Menchaca
  • Rev. Fr. Tadeusz Terembula
DeanRev. Fr. Ritche Bueza
(St. John the Baptist Parish)
Pastor(s)Rev. Fr. Joseph M. Benedict
Laity
Director of musicJulie Wind
Organist(s)Aileen Chanco
Business managerSusan Olsen
Liturgy coordinatorMelissa Broome Ursin
Religious education coordinatorSusan Olsen
Parish administratorTanis Zuccaro

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (

minor basilica
.

The basilica is named for Saint Joseph, patron saint of the Catholic Church and namesake of San Jose, California.

History

Detail of the dome
View from the altar

The original St. Joseph's

The Alameda which was part of the historic El Camino Real. The original adobe structure was damaged by earthquakes
in 1818 and 1822.

In 1835, prominent

Alcalde of San José at the time), oversaw the construction of the church for the next eight years until its completion and consecration in 1846.[4] In 1842, Suñol petitioned Francisco García Diego y Moreno, the Bishop of the Californias, for proper religious vestments and relics for the church. The second church was severely damaged by the 1868 Hayward earthquake
.

Work on the third church began in 1869. The third church was destroyed by fire in 1875, and a temporary fourth church was built a few blocks away while the fifth and current church was being constructed. The fifth church was dedicated by

Archbishop of San Francisco, in 1877 while construction continued. The current portico was completed in 1884, and the large dome
was finished in 1885.

In 1981, a major renovation project was begun at the church, which was to become the

Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral Parish, located a few blocks away, as the cathedral of the diocese. The cathedral was made a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II
in 1997.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is listed as a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

Architecture

Plaques at entrance

Just inside the entrance to the cathedral are two plaques that read:

The Most Rev. Joseph S. Alemany, O.P.
First Archbishop of San Francisco
dedicated Saint Joseph Church,
fourth on this site, on land
donated by Antonio Sunol for the
first permanent Catholic Parish
in California, founded in 1803.

Rev.

S.J.
, Pastor, 22 April 1877


The Most Rev. R. Pierre DuMaine
First Bishop of San Jose
dedicated this Church
restored and renovated
as the new Cathedral
of the Diocese of San Jose.

Rev. P. Jeremiah Helfrich, S.J. Rector, 4 November 1990

Joseph bible quotes

The top of the walls of the inside of the cathedral include quotes from the Vulgate about Joseph:

  • Matthew 1:20 - ANGELVS DOMINI APPARVIT IN SOMNIS JOSEPH NOLI TIMERE ACCIPERE MARIAM CONIVGEM TVAM
  • Matthew 1:24 - EXSVRGENS JOSEPH A SOMNO FECIT SICVT PRÆCEPIT ET ANGELVS DOMINI ET ACCEPIT CONIVGEN SVAM
  • Matthew 2:13–2:14 - FVTVRVM EST VT HERODES QVÆRAT PVERVM AD PEDENDVM ET MATREM EIVS NOCTE ET SECESSIT IN ÆGYPTVM
  • Luke 2:48 - DIXIT MATER EIVS ECCE PATER TVVS ET EGO DOLENTES QVÆREBVS TE
  • Luke 2:51 - DESCENDIT CVM EIS ET VENIT NAZARET ET ERAT SVBDITVS ILLIS
  • Luke 3:23 - ET JESVS PVTABATVR FILIVS JOSEPH

Stained glass windows

The stained glass windows going counter clockwise from the east transept depict:

  1. Agony in the Garden
  2. Crucifixion
  3. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
  4. Saint Catherine of Alexandria
  5. Saint Patrick
  6. Saint John
  7. Saint Luke
  8. The Holy Family
  9. Saint Casimir
  10. Saint Edward the Confessor
  11. Saint John the Baptist
  12. Saint Mark
  13. Saint Matthew
  14. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque & The Sacred Heart of Jesus
  15. Saint Francis Xavier
  16. Saint
    Claude de la Colombière
  17. Resurrection
  18. Ascension

Odell pipe organ

The Odell pipe organ was built in 1886 by the J. H. and C. S. Odell Company in Yonkers, New York. It is the only such Odell instrument surviving in its original condition in the United States. It has 40,000 parts. It has 27 ranks of 60 pipes each. It was restored in 1987–90.

Gallery

  • From the baptismal font, looking up the nave to the altar.
    From the baptismal font, looking up the nave to the altar.
  • The south semitransept, from the altar
    The south semitransept, from the altar
  • The nave from the altar, showing the baptismal font, with organ loft above
    The nave from the altar, showing the baptismal font, with organ loft above
  • The altar from the top of the nave with the ambo and cathedra behind it
    The altar from the top of the nave with the ambo and cathedra behind it
  • The altar, from the north semitransept
    The altar, from the north semitransept
  • Interior of the large dome over the crossing
    Interior of the large dome over the crossing

See also

References

  1. ^ St. Joseph's Cathedral - El Ministerio en Español
  2. ^ "History of the Cathedral Basilica of St Joseph". Archived from the original on 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  3. ^ Sourisseau Academy for Californian History at SJSU - Life of Antonio Suñol
  4. ^ St. Joseph's Cathedral - History Timeline
  5. ^ "Cathedral - About". Retrieved May 8, 2016.

External links