The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento in Sacramento, California. The cathedral holds the diocesan bishop’s throne or “cathedra,” representing the bishop’s teaching authority over his flock. The present ordinary of the Diocese of Sacramento is Jaime Soto, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI. The cathedral is located downtown at the intersection of 11th and K Streets. The cathedral is considered both a religious and civic landmark. The diocese stretches from the southern edge of Sacramento County north to the Oregon border and serves approximately 1,000,000 Catholics. The diocese encompasses 102 churches in a 42,000-square-mile region. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is one of the largest cathedrals west of the Mississippi River. Because of its size, it has sometimes been used as the site of final funeral Masses for former governors of California, most recently that of Pat Brown in 1996.
History
With construction beginning in 1887, Sacramento’s Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is an example of the strength and history of Sacramento’s architecture. Since many buildings date back to the mid-19th century, Sacramento is home to the largest concentration of buildings dating back to the California Gold Rush era in the United States. With a recent restoration project that loops together the Catholic culture, the legacy of gold miners, visions of a vibrant downtown, and the sentiments of Sacramentans who spent some of life’s most memorable moments within the church’s walls, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament combines Sacramento’s history with its modern-day life.
Among the first of thousands to seek his fortune in the Sacramento, CA region during the California Gold Rush, Patrick Manogue had aspirations different from many of his fellow fortune seekers. He aimed to earn enough money to finance a trip to Paris, where he planned to enroll in a seminary college and become a Roman Catholic priest.
Renovation
The architectural style of the church is Italian Renaissance on the exterior and Victorian on the interior. The church has been updated for modern use, but designers tried to keep the church in its original style. Over the years, the church lost its stylistic unity with repairs, color scheme changes, and liturgy changes. EZ Sacramento Junk Removal
From August 2003 until November 2005, the cathedral closed for extensive remodeling to unify the church’s décor from the numerous renovations. Significant additions in this renovation included a Eucharistic chapel, two side chapels, and a large crucifix below the domed crossing. But the largest change was the re-opening of the dome, which was closed in the 1930s for acoustic reasons. The Eucharistic Chapel (or Blessed Sacrament Chapel) pays an architectural homage to the chancel screens of medieval churches. It allows for the Tabernacle to remain in plain view of the congregation and be in line with the high altar while also allowing for a private devotional space outside of the celebration of the Mass. The words of the Eucharistic hymn Pange Lingua Gloriosi are inscribed in gold on the screen.
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