Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Philip, Atlanta

The Cathedral of Saint Philip, also known as St. Philip Cathedral or St. Philip's is an Episcopal cathedral in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta.

Creation of the Cathedral and Its Namesake

From its earliest beginnings with five communicants in 1846, St. Philip's has become one of the largest Episcopal congregation in the United States with a membership of approximately 6,000. St. Philip's is named for St. Philip the Evangelist, a deacon in the early Christian Church.

Original Cathedral in Downtown Atlanta

The first site for St. Philip's was in downtown Atlanta, across from the State Capitol on the corner of what is now Washington Street and Martin Luther King Drive. By 1875 the small church had grown to be the largest Episcopal church in Georgia, and in 1907 St. Philip's was named the Cathedral of the Diocese of Atlanta, which was formed that same year. In 1928 the Cathedral selected the Rev. Raimundo de Ovies as its new dean and began work on selecting a site for construction of a new Cathedral.

Move to Buckhead

In 1933, St. Philip's relocated to its present site at 2744 Peachtree Road NW. A gray wooden structure, known as the pro-cathedral, was erected and served the congregation as its house of worship while construction was begun on the cathedral. Mikell Chapel was completed in 1947, followed by De Ovies Memorial Hall in 1951. 1955 saw the completion of the Hall of Bishops, now renamed as Child Hall. In 1962, the Cathedral was completed and dedicated. It was consecrated to the glory of God in 1980. In 2004, St. Philips engaged in a renovation of all existing structures and the addition of a large new wing north of De Ovies Memorial Hall as well as adding a glass atrium enclosing the former open-air courtyard adjacent to the Narthex.

Cathedral Ministries

Owing to the size of membership the Cathedral is able to offer a large array of ministries. The Cathedral Bookstore opened in 1947 and over the years has expanded to become one of the largest Episcopal book stores in the nation. The Cathedral also operates Thrift House, a thrift store whose proceeds benefit a number of charities as well as the Cathedral, has been in operation for a number of decades in a number of metro-Atlanta locations. In the 1980s the Cathedral also joined the Community of the Cross of Nails, a world-wide organization that works to alleviate descrimination as well as promoting tolerance and peace.

The Episcopal Church Women at the Cathedral also hold an annual antique show and tour of homes with lectures and appraisals. All proceeds from the show are given to a charity that is determined yearly.

ee also

*List of cathedrals in the United States
*List of cathedrals

External links

* [http://www.stphilipscathedral.org The Cathedral St. Philip - Official Website]
* [http://www.cathedralbookstore.org/ The Cathedral Bookstore]