Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

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name = St. John's Roman Catholic Cathedral
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caption =Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
location = 812 N. Jackson St.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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architect = Victor Schulte
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added = December 31, 1974
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refnum = 74000108
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governing_body = The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, of which the Most Reverend Timothy Dolan is now Archbishop. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Milwaukee Landmark.

A [http://www.stjohns-cathedral.org Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist] also exists in Spokane, Washington.

Description

Archbishop John Henni purchased land for the cathedral in 1844. The cornerstone for the Cathedral was laid on December 5, 1847, after nearly $30,000 was raised for construction. It was completed in 1852 and dedicated to John the Evangelist. The building was designed by architect Victor Schulte in German Zopstil style and built using Cream City brick, a distinct light colored brick found locally.

The original tower was deemed unsafe and the section above the clock was replaced with a taller tower in 1893, which was designed by noted Milwaukee architects George Ferry & Alfred Clas. A fire partially destroyed the church and most of its contents in January 1935. Only the tower remained fully intact. Rebuilding was completed in time for midnight mass on Christmas Eve of 1942.

St. John's Cathedral features thirteen large hand-cut stained glass windows made by T.C. Esser Company of Milwaukee. A large tomb-shaped baptismal pool and marble font is also situated prominently in the center of the sanctuary. In 2001 a gated garden and atrium were added at the north end of the building.

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1997.

Renovation and Controversy

It was rededicated on February 9, 2002, following a controversial renovation project which consisted of some restoration work on the historic structure but also a radical remodeling of the interior. There was a very vocal anti-renovation group who petitioned the Vatican for a halt to what they felt was yet another modernist "wreckovation" of an historic Roman Catholic Church. Archbishop Rembert Weakland, a noted theological liberal, was the primary advocate of the renovation which he and supporters felt brought the cathedral into a more modern "post-conciliar" style. Weakland hired noted modernist liturgical consultant Richard Vosko to plan the renovation. Among the most controversial elements of the renovation was the dismantling of the historic High Altar and Baldacchino in the apse which were replaced with organ pipes. The sanctuary and altar was then moved forward into the nave and crowned with a controversial fiberglass crucifix designed by Italian sculptors Arnaldo Pomodoro and Giuseppe Maraniell. The piece is topped with a fourteen foot in diameter crown of thorns which hovers over the figure of Christ. The conflict over the renovation was brought to the attention of Cardinal Jorge Medina and the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Cardinal Medina sought to mediate the dispute and was quoted in his letters as saying "...it would seem to this congregation that the ancient and venerable high altar together with its baldacchino should be retained, given also that it is a most suitable location for the reservation of the Most Blessed Sacrament." Weakland disagreed with the opinion of the Cardinal and Congregation and therefore proceeded with the dismantling and removal of the High Altar and Baldacchino. A before and after view of the Cathedral interior can be seen at the following links:

* [http://www.seattlecatholic.com/article_20010727_Weaklands_Cathedral_Renovations.html Cathedral Renovation before & after pictures]
* [http://www.seattlecatholic.com/article_20020228_Follow-Up_on_the_Milwaukee_Cathedral_Renovation.html Post renovation pictures]

Cathedral Square Park

Cathedral Square Park is a small urban Milwaukee County Park located in front of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Originally known as Courthouse Square, the land was donated by city co-founder Solomon Juneau in 1836, and housed the first two county courthouses and jail. A mob of 5,000 people converged at the jail in 1854 to rescue Joshua Glover, a runaway slave captured and imprisoned by federal marshals.

It became a park in 1939 when a new location was selected for the third Milwaukee County Courthouse. Since then, it has become a popular meeting place and host for events such as Jazz in the Park and the farmers' market. The city currently offers free Wi-Fi service in the park.

External links

* [http://www.stjohncathedral.org/ Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist]
* [http://www.archmil.org/ Archdiocese of Milwaukee]