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Saint Patrick
Cathedral Parish and School
File:STP-ELP20.jpg The Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick, the mother church of the Diocese of El Paso.
Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso
Patron:	St Patrick, Patron of Ireland
Location:	El Paso/Texas
Date of Foundation:	8 April, 1914 - 12 November, 1916
Style:	Historism, Neo-Italian Renaissance
Rector:	Rev Richard A Matty
Bishop:	Most Rev Armando X. Ochoa, D.D.
Website:	[1]

The Cathedral Parish of St Patrick is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso, Texas. It is located at 1118 N. Mesa St. in the heart of the downtown area. The bishop is His Excellency, the Most Reverend Armando Xavier Ochoa(born in Oxnard, California, 3 April 1943). The cathedral is the mother church for 656,000 Catholics in the diocese(as of the 2004 survey), and also operates one of El Paso's Catholic high schools, Cathedral High School, and St Patrick Elementary School adjacent to the church.

History

The church was designed by Barnett, Hynes and Barnett, an architectural firm from St Louis, Missouri. It was built in the form of a Byzantine basilica, in the Italian Renaissance style. The ground was broken on 8 April, 1914 and the church and the cornerstone were blessed in a ceremony by Fr Edward Barry on 12 November 1916. The interior of the cathedral is adorned with Roman columns, elaborate frescoes that depict biblical scenes and the Stations of the Cross are carved in bas-relief on the interior walls. The high altar contains a 2.5M tall statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with a large canopy over the altar, topped with a golden eagle. The church seats about 800 people for Mass. In alcoves along the walls one will find a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a life-size classical sculpture of St Patrick. The stained-glass windows are colourful examples of the glassmaker's art, and depict scenes from the life of Jesus and the Church.

Saint Peter of Jesus Maldonado & The Cathedral

Because of the Anticlerical Laws that were a result of the Mexican Constitution of 1857 and the Mexican Revolution, the Catholic Church found herself increasingly suppressed by the governments of dictators Alvaro Obregon and Plutarco Calles. Basic rights such as involvement in politics, freedom of worship and redress of grievances were severely curtailed and even denied to bishops, priests, deacons and laity. Even prior to the end of the revolution, from 1914 to 1918, those aspiring to be priests found it impossible to study in Mexico, and were forced to study abroad, usually in the United States, and mostly in cities close to the U.S.-Mexican border.

El Paso was especially popular because of its closeness to Mexico and Ciudad Juárez. During these years, many seminarians from northern Mexico studied in El Paso, and were ordained to the priesthood here. One such was Pedro (Peter) Maldonado Lucero, who was ordained by Bishop Anthony J Schuler, S.J. in the cathedral on 25 January, 1918. Padre Maldonado returned to his native Chihuahua to minister to the faithful. He was beaten to death in 1937 at the hands of town authorities in Santa Isabel, Chihuahua, for the crime of preaching the Gospel to the people there. He was buried in the Cathedral of Chihuahua, and canonised by Pope John Paul II in 2000. A memorial in the nave of St Patrick commemorates the event of his ordination. See External Links and References for more information.

Photo Gallery I - The Windows

The Annunciation and The Immaculate Conception.
Cana and The Death of St Joseph
The Sacred Heart and The Coronation of Our Lady
The Presentation of Jesus and The Nativity
The Sea of Galilee and The Baptism of Our Lord
Jesus and the Children and The Anointing by Mary
The Garden of Gethsemene and The Last Supper
The Empty Tomb and The Crucifixion
Pentecost and The Ascension
The Great Commission
Pontifical Window with the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XV during whose reign the cathedral was dedicated

Photo Gallery II - Other Points of Interest

The Facade:Mosaic of St Patrick
Stations of the Cross: Station VIII
Sculpture of St Patrick
The South Gallery and Organ
The High Altar
The Nave and Chancel
The Marian Altar and Baptistry
The Blessed Sacrament
The Cáthedra
The High Altar: The Sacred Heart Statue
Sculpture of St Patrick: Detail

External Links and References

"Diocese of El Paso". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
"San Pedro de Jesús Maldonado Lucereo". Santos y Beatos Latino Americanos. Site in Spanish.
"Cristeros Became Mexican Martyrs". Borderlands:An El Paso Community College Project. Site in English.

Also included in the Borderlands series is additional information concerning El Paso and the cathedral.

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 ==History==
-The church was designed by Barnett, Hynes and Barnett, an architectural firm from St Louis, Missouri.  It was built in the form of a [[Byzantine Architecture|Byzantine]] [[basilica]], in the [[Italian Renaissance]] style.  The ground was broken on 8 April, 1914 and the church and the [[cornerstone]] were [[blessed]] in a ceremony by Fr Edward Barry on 12 November, 1916.  The interior of the cathedral is adorned with Roman columns,  elaborate [[fresco]]es  that depict biblical scenes and the [[Stations of the Cross]] are carved in [[bas-relief]] on the interior walls.  The high [[altar]] contains a 2.5M tall statue of the [[Sacred Heart of Jesus]] with a large canopy over the altar, topped with a golden eagle.  The church seats about 800 people for Mass. In [[alcove]]s along the walls one will find a picture of [[Our Lady of Guadalupe]] and a life-size classical sculpture of St Patrick.  The [[stained-glass windows]] are colourful examples of the glassmakers art, and depict scenes from the life of Jesus and the Church.
+The church was designed by Barnett, Hynes and Barnett, an architectural firm from St Louis, Missouri.  It was built in the form of a [[Byzantine Architecture|Byzantine]] [[basilica]], in the [[Italian Renaissance]] style.  The ground was broken on 8 April, 1914 and the church and the [[cornerstone]] were [[blessed]] in a ceremony by Fr Edward Barry on 12 November 1916.  The interior of the cathedral is adorned with Roman columns, elaborate [[fresco]]es  that depict biblical scenes and the [[Stations of the Cross]] are carved in [[bas-relief]] on the interior walls.  The high [[altar]] contains a 2.5M tall statue of the [[Sacred Heart of Jesus]] with a large canopy over the altar, topped with a golden eagle.  The church seats about 800 people for Mass. In [[alcove]]s along the walls one will find a picture of [[Our Lady of Guadalupe]] and a life-size classical sculpture of St Patrick.  The [[stained-glass windows]] are colourful examples of the glassmaker's art, and depict scenes from the life of Jesus and the Church.
 ==Saint Peter of Jesus Maldonado & The Cathedral==
 Because of the [[Anticlerical]] Laws that were a result of the Mexican Constitution of 1857 and the [[Mexican Revolution]], the Catholic Church found herself increasingly suppressed by the governments of dictators [[Alvaro Obregon]] and [[Plutarco Calles]].  Basic rights such as involvement in politics, freedom of worship and redress of grievances were severely curtailed and even denied to [[bishops]], [[priests]], [[deacons]] and [[laity]].  Even prior to the end of the revolution, from 1914 to 1918, those aspiring to be priests found it impossible to study in Mexico, and were forced to study abroad, usually in the United States, and mostly in cities close to the U.S.-Mexican border.
-[[El Paso]] was especially popular because of its closeness to Mexico and [[Ciudad Juárez]].  During these years, many [[seminarian]]s from northern Mexico studied in El Paso, and were [[ordain]]ed to the priesthood here.  One such was '''Pedro(Peter) Maldonado Lucero''', who was ordained by Bishop Anthony J Schuler, [[S.J.]] in the cathedral on 25 January, 1918.  Padre Maldonado returned to his native Chihuahua to minister to the faithful.  He was beaten to death in 1937 at the hands of town authorities in Santa Isabel, Chihuahua, for the crime of preaching the [[Gospel]] to the people there.  He was buried in the [[Cathedral of Chihuahua]], and [[canonised]] by Pope [[John Paul II]] in 2000.  A memorial in the [[nave]] of St Patrick commemorates the event of his ordination.  See '''External Links and References''' for more information.
+[[El Paso]] was especially popular because of its closeness to Mexico and [[Ciudad Juárez]].  During these years, many [[seminarian]]s from northern Mexico studied in El Paso, and were [[ordain]]ed to the priesthood here.  One such was '''Pedro (Peter) Maldonado Lucero''', who was ordained by Bishop Anthony J Schuler, [[S.J.]] in the cathedral on 25 January, 1918.  Padre Maldonado returned to his native Chihuahua to minister to the faithful.  He was beaten to death in 1937 at the hands of town authorities in Santa Isabel, Chihuahua, for the crime of preaching the [[Gospel]] to the people there.  He was buried in the [[Cathedral of Chihuahua]], and [[canonised]] by [[Pope John Paul II]] in 2000.  A memorial in the [[nave]] of St Patrick commemorates the event of his ordination.  See '''External Links and References''' for more information.
 ==Photo Gallery I - The Windows==