Holy Name Cathedral celebrates 150 years
Holy Name Cathedral has officially turned 150 years old.
The cathedral at 735 N. State St. was dedicated on Nov. 21, 1875 — 150 years ago this past Friday.
The original Church of the Holy Name was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. But in the three years afterward, Chicago Archbishop Thomas Foley and Holy Name Pastor and Rector the Rev. John McMullen traveled around the country to raise money to reconstruct the church, according to the Holy Name website.
Brooklyn architect Patrick Charles Keely designed the new Holy Name Cathedral, and its cornerstone was laid on July 19, 1874.
On Nov. 21, 1875, the day of the Feast of St. Mary's Presentation in Temple, Bishop Foley dedicated Holy Name Cathedral at 9 a.m.
To celebrate the anniversary, a special liturgy was held at Holy Name on Sunday afternoon. The anniversary celebrates the long history of Holy Name Cathedral and the community it continues to serve.