History of the Co-Cathedral

St. Mary Cathedral Basilica

When the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston was originally created, in May of 1847
, it was established as the Diocese of Galveston. The "see city" or administrati
ve center of the new diocese was Galveston. At the time, the only parish in the
city was St. Mary Church. Its first small parish church had been heavily damaged
in a hurricane, and a larger church was under construction. The new church was
dedicated in November of 1848 as St. Mary Cathedral, the first cathedral in Texa
s. In 1979, Pope John Paul II named the Cathedral a minor basilica, a designatio
n that honors churches of special spiritual, historical or artistic significance
.

Sacred Heart Parish

The Most Reverend Nicholas A. Gallagher, the third Bishop of Galveston, establis
hed Sacred Heart Parish as the fourth parish in Houston, Texas on November 22, 1
896 to serve the growing Catholic population of Houston. The Reverend Thomas Kea
ney was appointed the first pastor.
Property facing Pierce and Fannin Streets was purchased on March 11, 1897. Plans
for a Gothic church and a two-story Annex were drawn by Mr. O. Lorehn, and the
cornerstone was laid on May 16, 1897 with Bishop Gallagher officiating. The chur
ch was built on the corner of Pierce and San Jacinto Streets with brick donated
by Mr. J.T. Brady. The church was dedicated to God s service by Bishop Gallagher o
n November 6, 1897. The first rectory consisted of a single room attached to the
rear of the church.
Cornelius Alphonsus Pereira, son of Theodore Pereira and Minnie Emhoff, was the
first child baptized in Sacred Heart Church on July 13, 1897 with Father Keaney
officiating. The first couple married in the church was Frank M. Quinn and Fanny
C. Discan on June 30, 1897 with Father Keaney witnessing the ceremony. The firs
t person buried in the church was Mrs. Johanna Tompkins on December 10, 1897 wit
h Father Bernard Lee officiating.
The two-story Annex to the church served as a school which opened for classes on
September 27, 1897 with 28 students. From the very beginning, the Dominican Sis
ters staffed the school, residing on the second floor of the Annex. The first pr
incipal was Sister M. Catherine.
On May 15, 1898, one adult who became Catholic (Mrs. Florence Dupre) and 33 chil
dren received their First Holy Communion from Father Bernard Lee, the second pas
tor, and were then confirmed on the same day by Bishop Gallagher.
In 1902, under the leadership of Father John T. Nicholson, the third pastor, the
building of St. Thomas High School (then known as St. Thomas College located at
the corner of Franklin and Crawford Streets) was purchased and moved to the par
ish property near the corner of Pierce and Fannin Streets. It was renovated and
used as a new school building and residence for the Sisters who staffed the scho
ol. Father Nicholson painted this building green, and it was thus known as the G
reen House. The vacated, two-story Annex was converted into a rectory.
Under the leadership of Sister M. Raymond, the third principal, the school sough
t and obtained the state s approval in 1905 to have a high school. However, the hi
gh school students were transferred to St. Agnes Academy which opened in Februar
y 1907. Father Nicholson acquired a two-story, wooden home in 1911 to use as a r
ectory and had it moved to the parish property and placed between the Green Hous
e and the church. The Green House, or school building, was demolished to make ro
om for the present church, and classes were then conducted in the old Gothic chu
rch and Annex.
Bishop Gallagher laid the cornerstone of the present Sacred Heart Church on June
11, 1911. The church was dedicated to God s service on April 14, 1912. The cost o
f the new church was $96,669.00. The main altar was a gift from the Scanlan sist
ers. The side altar to the Blessed Virgin was a gift from Mrs. J.O. Carr, and th
e side altar to St. Joseph was a gift from Mrs. Frank E. Russell. The Fourteen S
tations of the Cross were a gift from Mrs. L.J. Tuffly.
More property, facing San Jacinto Street, was purchased on June 6, 1919, and pro
perty on the corner of San Jacinto and Calhoun Streets was purchased on May 6, 1
920. This property was secured in order to provide a school playground.
Father Morgan J. Crow, the fourth pastor, constructed a two-story, brick rectory
that was completed and occupied in 1920 to replace the wooden rectory. Under hi
s leadership, the present school building was built in 1922 for $52, 800.00 on t
he corner of Pierce and San Jacinto Streets to replace the old school building,
which had been the original church.
Monsignor Jerome A. Rapp served as the fifth pastor from 1927 until 1952, the lo
ngest term for any pastor in the history of the parish. The interior decoration
of the present church was in large measure accomplished by Monsignor Rapp. He ac
quired most of the statues and saw to the redecoration of the entire nave and sa
nctuary.
Monsignor John J. Roach, the sixth pastor, had the church air-conditioned in 195
3, and a central heating unit installed. Property on the corner of Fannin and Ca
lhoun Streets was acquired on April 29, 1954, thus giving the parish ownership o
f the entire block bounded by Pierce, San Jacinto, Calhoun, and Fannin Streets.
Old rooming houses occupying the newly purchased property were demolished, and t
he entire free area behind the parish buildings was hard-topped and enclosed wit
h an iron fence to serve both as a playground and a parking lot.
The rectory was demolished in 1956, and construction began on a larger, two-stor
y, brick rectory with a basement for automobiles so as to provide a central resi
dence for priests engaged in non-parochial, administrative work, as well as thos
e resident, parochial priests. This rectory was occupied on February 10, 1957. W
hile this construction was in progress, Monsignor Roach had the exteriors of the
church and school refurbished, the sacristy enlarged, a side door that opened i
nto the nave added, new confessionals installed and some minor interior changes
made.

Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral

Due to the phenomenal growth in the city of Houston and the consequent increase
in the number of Catholics and Catholic institutions, Bishop Wendelin Nold (the
first bishop to reside in Houston) asked the Vatican to re-designate the diocese
as the "Diocese of Galveston-Houston." In 1959 Pope John XXIII designated the
city of Houston to be an episcopal city, effective on December 24, 1959. This d
id not change the status of the city of Galveston as an episcopal city establish
ed in 1847, the first such city in the state of Texas. With the elevation of Sac
red Heart Parish to a Co-Cathedral, it became co-equal in rank with St. Mary Cat
hedral in Galveston. With this designation, an episcopal chair was also installe
d in Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral. Full episcopal ceremonies could then be celebrat
ed in Houston, as well as in Galveston.
The interior of the church was remodeled in 1964 with all the walls paneled with
wood. Due to declining enrollment and increased costs of operation, Sacred Hear
t School was regretfully closed in May 1967 after 70 years of continuous service
in Catholic education. The classroom building now houses the parish religious e
ducation program.
The Diamond Jubilee of Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral was celebrated on November 20,
1971. The Most Reverend Wendelin J. Nold, the fifth bishop, presided and concele
brated at the Mass and preached the homily, while the Most Reverend John L. Mork
ovsky, the Apostolic Administrator of the diocese, was the principal celebrant.
The latest interior renovation of the Co-Cathedral was completed in 1990. The re
dedication of Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral occurred on March 25, 1990 with the Most
Reverend Joseph A. Fiorenza, the seventh bishop, as the presiding celebrant. Th
e sanctuary was renovated, and a new episcopal chair and ambo were added. The de
piction of the Last Supper in the present, new altar was preserved from the orig
inal high altar. The three new mosaics were designed and made in Italy and insta
lled by Italo Botti of Chicago. The mosaics were a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Corbin
Robertson in memory of Monsignor John J. Roach, the sixth pastor.
The mosaic of Christ the pantocrator above the episcopal chair represents Jesus
as the chief shepherd and teacher of the church. The chair on which Jesus sits a
nd the episcopal chair are identical, thus expressing that it is Christ who is t
he true shepherd and teacher of the diocese. The mosaic over the new tabernacle
is a Eucharistic symbol taken from the miracle of the multiplication of the five
loaves and two fish (John 6:1-15). It is similar to a 4th century mosaic in a c
hurch in Capernaum. Above this mosaic image is the Coat of Arms for Pope John Pa
ul II. The tabernacle was a gift from Davis and Estelle Maloney. The mosaic over
the new baptismal font depicts a baptismal theme of flowing water from a shell
symbolizing our sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus by the power of t
he Holy Spirit. Above this mosaic image is the Diocesan Seal.