Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist (Savannah, Georgia)
{{Short description|Historic church in Georgia, United States}}
{{Use American English|date = December 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = December 2019}}
{{Infobox church
| denomination = Catholic Church
| name = Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
| fullname =
| image = Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - Savannah GA - panorama.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
| country = United States
| location = 222 East Harris Street, Lafayette Square, Savannah, Georgia
| website = [http://www.savannahcathedral.org Savannah Cathedral Website]
| founder =
| dedicated date = April 30, 1876
| architect = Ephraim Francis Baldwin
| style = Gothic Revival
| parish =
| diocese = Savannah
| division =
| subdivision =
| bishop = Stephen D. Parkes
| abbot =
| vicar =
| provost =
| rector = J. Gerard Schreck
| dean =
| canon =
| prebendary =
| priest =
| curate =
| minister =
| seniorpastor =
| pastor =
| chaplain =
| archdeacon =
| deacon = Dewain E. Smith
|embedded = {{Infobox NRHP
| embed = yes
| name = Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
| partof = Savannah Historic District
| nrhp_type = cp
| nocat = yes
| locmapin = USA Georgia#USA
| image =
| caption =
| added = November 13, 1966{{NRISref|2009a}}
| partof_refnum = 66000277
}}
| color =
| landscape =
| founded_date =
| constructed_date =
| closed_date =
| demolished_date =
}}
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral and minor basilica near Lafayette Square at 222 East Harris Street, Savannah, Georgia, in the United States. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah.
History
The colonial charter of Savannah prohibited Roman Catholics from settling in the city, as the English trustees feared that Catholics would be more loyal to the Spanish authorities in Florida than to Georgia's English government; however, this prohibition faded shortly after the American Revolution.{{cite web| title=Oglethorpe and Religion in Georgia| url=http://georgiahistory.com/education-outreach/online-exhibits/featured-historical-figures/james-edward-oglethorpe/oglethorpe-and-religion-in-georgia/| publisher=Georgia Historical Society| accessdate=2016-02-26}} The church's congregation was reorganized about 1796. French Catholic émigrés established the first church after they fled Haiti in 1799, following the outbreak of slave rebellions that began on the Caribbean island in 1791.{{cite book| title=Haiti| work=Le Petit Robert des noms propres| location=Paris| publisher=Dictionnaires Robert| isbn=978-2-321-00647-3| date=27 May 2015| page=918}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gERZwd3bVToC&pg=PA100 |title=Villages, Ghosts, Lovers....And Red Rice |page=100 |editor=Porter, Michael |year=2004 |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |isbn=9781465328564 |accessdate=21 June 2017}} It became the main church for free blacks from Haiti in the early 19th century.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YlhBqmn37kkC&pg=PA85 |title=Slavery in the Caribbean Francophone World: Distant Voices, Forgotten Acts, Forged Identities |page=85 |editor=Kadish, Doris Y. |year=2000 |publisher=University of Georgia Press |isbn=9780820321660 |accessdate=21 June 2017}} Construction began on the new Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in 1873. The structure was nearly destroyed by fire in 1898 but through diligent effort was rebuilt by 1899. The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist was the first building in Georgia constructed of brick. It features 81 stained glass windows, 16 gargoyles, is 214 feet tall with a roof height of 96 feet, took over 90,000 copper nails and 45,000 slates to construct.
The congregation constructed its first church on Liberty Square in 1779 and in 1811, chose a site on Drayton and Perry Streets for a larger building. Bishop John England of the Diocese of Charleston, which encompassed Savannah, consecrated the new church April 1, 1839. Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Savannah in July 1850. The new Cathedral was planned in 1870 under Savannah's fourth Bishop, The Right Reverend Ignatius Persico. Most Reverend James Roosevelt Bayley, Archbishop of Baltimore, presided at the dedication of the Neo-Gothic sanctuary April 30, 1876.{{Cite news|url=http://discoverhistoricamericatours.com/savannah/history/cathedral-st-john-baptist/|title=The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - Discover Historic America Tours|work=Discover Historic America Tours|access-date=2017-08-11|language=en-US|archive-date=August 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811222323/http://discoverhistoricamericatours.com/savannah/history/cathedral-st-john-baptist/|url-status=dead}} However, the brick structure lacked spires, which were not added until 1896 when it also received a coating of stucco and whitewash.
On February 6, 1898, a fire swept the building and left only the walls and spires, but the congregation quickly rebuilt and was able to celebrate Christmas Mass in the new facility in 1899.{{Cite web |title=Not just Notre Dame: Savannah's own cathedral fell victim to deadly fire over 100 years ago |url=https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/2019/05/04/not-just-notre-dame-savannahs-own-cathedral-fell-victim-to-fire-more-than-100-years-ago/5245660007/ |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=Savannah Morning News |language=en-US}} Wind direction spared the Cathedral Rectory and St. Vincent's Academy. The renovated structure was not completed fully for an additional 13 years. Stained glass windows were installed around 1904.{{Cite news|url=http://discoverhistoricamericatours.com/savannah/history/cathedral-st-john-baptist/|title=The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - Discover Historic America Tours|work=Discover Historic America Tours|access-date=2017-08-11|language=en-US|archive-date=August 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811222323/http://discoverhistoricamericatours.com/savannah/history/cathedral-st-john-baptist/|url-status=dead}} The parish undertook subsequent renovation projects in 1959–1965, which addressed heating, cooling and lighting systems and decoration; 1984–1985, to reinforce structural foundations and implement changes suggested by the Second Vatican Council and 1998–2000 to install new roofing, and restore the original interior color palette and decorations.{{cite web| title=Church History| url=http://savannahcathedral.org/church-history/| publisher=Cathedral of St. John the Baptist| accessdate=2016-02-26}}
Pope Francis elevated the status of the church to minor basilica in 2020.{{cite web| title=Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Named a Minor Basilica by Pope Francis| url=https://diosav.org/basilica?fbclid=IwAR3fpPh_VJDixujTZY3aIjHck7rNRJvAWG29k-M-OcPVA4oRCB67Cu78EQ4| publisher=Diocese of Savannh| accessdate=2020-04-23}}{{cite news|title=Pope designates Cathedral of St. John the Baptist as minor basilica|url=https://www.savannahnow.com/news/20200422/pope-designates-cathedral-of-st-john-baptist-as-minor-basilica|newspaper=Savannah Morning News|location=Savannah|date=April 22, 2020|accessdate=2020-04-23|author=Jan Skutch}}
Gallery
File:Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Savannah, Georgia.jpg|The cathedral in an undated pre-1914 photo
File:Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Savannah, Georgia Interior.jpg|Historic photo of the rear nave and organ loft
File:Savannah cathedral 2015 17 049.jpg|Rear nave and organ loft in 2015
File:Stjohnbasilicagaorgan.jpg|Another view of the organ loft, April 2023
File:Stjohnbaptistgawide.jpg|A wide view of the entire church, April 2023
File:Savannah cathedral 2015 17 046.jpg|High altar and apse
File:Stjohnbasilicagaaltar.jpg|The altar during after Stations of the Cross on Holy Friday
File:21-26-031-cathedral.jpg|Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel
File:Savannah cathedral 2015 17 052.jpg|Window and decoration of the south transept
File:Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Savannah, GA, US (16).jpg|South transept window detail
File:Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Savannah, GA, US (14).jpg|Stained glass detail
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Savannah, Georgia)}}
- [http://www.savannahcathedral.org/ Official Cathedral Site]
- [http://www.diosav.org/ Diocese of Savannah Official Site]
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|32.07333|N|81.09088|W|type:landmark_source:kolossus-frwiki|display=title}}
Category:19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
Category:Basilica churches in the United States
Category:Churches in Savannah, Georgia
Category:Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:French-American culture in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Haitian-American culture in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Historic district contributing properties in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Savannah, Georgia
Category:Roman Catholic churches completed in 1896
Category:Lafayette Square (Savannah, Georgia) buildings
Category:Savannah Historic District
Savannah, St John the Baptist, Cathedral Basilica of