Visiting the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland is an unusual experience for many people. In order to help more of the faithful experience the mother church of the diocese, Theology on the Rocks West hosted a tour of the cathedral recently.
Diane Fusco, a longtime cathedral parishioner and docent, guided the visitors through the church and pointed out many interesting things as she briefed them on their history and significance. The cathedral is the bishop’s church, which is evident because the cathedra, or special seat used by the bishop, is located there.
(See photo gallery above.)
Fusco said the cathedral’s census includes about 1,100 households and about 1,700 people from all over the diocese. “It’s a diverse group of people,” she said.
Prior to the 1847 establishment of the diocese, Cincinnati was the only diocese in Ohio. Amadeus Rappe was named the first bishop and one of the first decisions was where to locate the cathedral. A church already existed in The Flats (St. Mary) but the new bishop decided to purchase property at what is now East Ninth Street and Superior Avenue, Fusco said.
Construction began in 1848 and the first Mass was celebrated in 1852. The current altar is located about where the original one was. The building is of the neo Gothic style.
“We look up when entering,” Fusco said, noting the building and its artwork are meant to inspire people and help to pass on the faith. “The pillars and arches take our minds to heaven,” she added.
The windows were plain glass until the 50th anniversary of the diocese when stained-glass windows were installed. Fusco said the beauty of the windows reminds us of the glory to come.
The original church was red brick. During World War II, it was painted gray. There are paintings and other ornamentations over the doors and scattered throughout the church. Fusco said during the war, the cathedral was filled with people praying for the safety of soldiers. After the war, in 1948, the cathedral was rebuilt and expanded. Although there had been thought of moving it to the University Circle area, diocesan officials decided to keep it at the same location.
Fusco said various bishops added their touches to the church. The stained-glass windows show important scenes from Church history and help to tell stories through the images.
The large Holtkamp pipe organ – it has 4,360 pipes -- can be played up in the choir loft or in front of the intricate, carved wooden reredos that consists of 850 pieces. The reredos, hand carved from Appalachian oak, features statues of St. John the Evangelist as well as Matthew, Mark and Luke.
The three doors on the East Ninth Street main entrance represent the Trinity. The Latin for we praise you, we bless you, we adore you is painted above the doors.
The Sacred Heart Chapel area contains a mural of the apocalypse. Across the church is a shrine to Mary featuring statues of people important to the Blessed Mother including her mother, St. Anne, and St. Joseph, her husband. Murals were done with the wet plaster technique.
The tabernacle table was fashioned from an old baptismal font. The altar installed in 1948 features a pelican and the ambo has a sculpture of St. Stephen, deacon and martyr.
Fusco took the group into the sanctuary and showed them the cathedra with seating for priests on both sides. She also pointed out Bishop Edward Malesic’s coat of arms that is affixed to the cathedra.
She also pointed out an icon that was gifted to the diocese for its 150th anniversary by the Byzantine Eparchy of Parma.
Inside the Resurrection Chapel are the tombs of two archbishops and eight bishops of the diocese as well as a full set of relics of St. Christine, a martyr in the early Church.
Click here to learn more about the cathedral and its history. Take a virtual tour here.
The next Theology on the Rocks program, set for Aug. 14, will feature Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost and his two priest brothers, Father Dave Woost and Father Tom Woost. Details will be available soon.