St. Paul's Catholic Church
About this property
The Cathedral of Saint Paul — informally known as Saint Paul's Cathedral — is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama, in the United States. Designed by Chicago architect Adolphus Druiding, the Victorian Gothic-style brick building was completed as a parish church in 1893. Its parish was established in 1872. It was elevated to cathedral status with the creation of the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama in 1969. During the first seven decades of the 19th century, the Catholics in Birmingham were under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Mobile. In 1872, these Catholic built a small wood-framed church. The diocese in 1880 sent John Browne to serve as the first resident pastor of St. Paul's Church. The parish enlarged the church and constructed a rectory. The second pastor, Patrick O’Reilly, laid the cornerstone for a new St. Paul's Church in 1890 next to the existing church. He hired the architect Adolphus Druiding of Chicago to design the new church. The new St. Paul's Church was dedicated in November 30, 1893, costing approximately $90,000. In 1904, the diocese named James Coyle as pastor of St. Paul. With the growth of the steel mills in Birmingham, many Catholic immigrants began moving into the city. During the 1910s, Coyle dealt with anti-Catholic sentiment raised by the Ku Klux Klan. In 1921, a Klansman shot Coyle to death several hours after Coyle married the man's daughter to a Puerto Rican man. Pope Pius XII in 1954 suppressed the Diocese of Mobile, replacing it with the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham. He designated St. Paul's Church as the Co-Cathedral of Saint Paul. The diocese in 1954 completed the first renovation of the co-cathedral, adding air conditioning and making other repairs. In 1969, Pope Paul VI split the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham, erecting the Archdiocese of Mobile and the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. The Co-Cathedral of St. Paul now became the Cathedral of St. Paul. The diocese in 1972 made structural repairs on the cathedral and made changes within the sanctuary.The large window of St. Paul over the entrance was installed, replacing an older window damaged in a storm. In 1982, the Cathedral of St. Paul and its school building were added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2010, leaks were observed in the plaster ceiling of the cathedral. After inspecting the slate roof, contractors determined that it needed replacement, along with its finials and copper crosses. At this time, the diocese also upgraded the electrical and lighting systems. The project was completed in 2014. In 2011, some scenes from the film October Baby were shot in the cathedral sanctuary.
Location
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was St. Paul's Catholic Church listed on the National Register?
St. Paul's Catholic Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 27, 1982.
What type of historic resource is St. Paul's Catholic Church?
St. Paul's Catholic Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for St. Paul's Catholic Church?
The period of significance for St. Paul's Catholic Church is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near St. Paul's Catholic Church?
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