Province of Santa fe

Pope Pius IX established the Province of Santa Fe in 1875.  The Province consists of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and two dioceses in New Mexico (Gallup and Las Cruces) and two dioceses in Arizona (Tucson and Phoenix).  The Province has 2.2 million Catholics, 25 percent of the total population.  In 2000, the Province had 1.2 million Catholics, or 19 percent of the total population.

I have visited the Cathedral Basilica in Santa Fe and the cathedral and basilica in Phoenix.  I saw the cathedral in Tucson, but it was not open at the time.  I have not been to Gallup or Las Cruces.

Map of the Province

New Mexico

Catholic History of New Mexico

Intrigued by stories of the fabled Seven Golden Cities of Cibola, Spanish authorities directed Franciscan Friar Marcos de Niza to travel from Mexico to what is now New Mexico and Arizona.  Reaching his destination in 1539, de Niza claimed the land for Spain and dedicated it to St. Francis of Assisi.  Franciscan missionaries continued to come to the area to try to convert the Native American tribes to Christianity.  Some of the missionaries were successful, others were martyred.  No permanent Spanish settlements were made until 1598, when a group of less than one thousand colonists, led by Juan de Onate, established San Juan de los Caballeros, about 30 miles north of present day Santa Fe (which was founded in 1610).  Spanish colonization and Franciscan missionary activity continued until 1680, when the Native Americans rebelled against Spanish rule and killed hundreds of Spanish colonists, chased the 2,000 survivors into Mexico, and destroyed the Spanish settlements and missions.

Diego de Vargas completed the reconquest of New Mexico by 1695, and settlements and missions were reestablished.  New Mexico became part of Mexico in 1821 and was claimed for the United States by General Stephen Kearny in 1846.  It officially became part of the United States in 1848 under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (except for a portion of southwestern New Mexico, which was annexed by the United States in 1853 as part of the Gadsden Purchase).  Congress established the Territory of New Mexico in 1850, which included Arizona and parts of Nevada and Colorado.  The Territory had a population of 60,000 at that time, most of whom were Catholic.  New Mexico became a state in 1912.

In 1850, Pope Pius IX created the Vicariate Apostolic of New Mexico for the Catholics in the Territory and named Jean Baptiste Lamy to be the first vicar apostolic.  The vicariate apostolic was raised to the status of a diocese in 1853 and became the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in 1875.  In 1936, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli viewed northern New Mexico and northern Arizona from an airplane and became concerned about how best to serve the Native Americans scattered over such a vast territory.  Three years later, as Pope Pius XII, he created the Diocese of Gallup, which includes 4 New Mexico counties and 2 Arizona counties.  The Diocese of Las Cruses was established by Pope John Paul II in 1982 to serve Catholics in southern New Mexico.

Archdiocese of Santa Fe

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe consists of 19 counties in northeastern New Mexico. The archdiocese has 326,000 Catholics (25 percent of the total population) in 93 parishes, as of 2015. 

Archbishops of Santa Fe

John B. Lamy (1814-1888)

• Born in France and ordained a priest in France in 1838.
• First Vicar Apostolic of New Mexico (1850-1853), first Bishop of Santa Fe (1853-1875), and first Archbishop of Santa Fe (1875-1885).  

John Lamy came to the United States in 1839 to serve in the Diocese of Cincinnati, Ohio.  His success as a pastor led him to become the first Vicar Apostolic of New Mexico in 1850 and then later the first Bishop and first Archbishop of Santa Fe.  Upon coming to Santa Fe, he had immediate problems with some of his nine clergy, partly because of their morals and partly because of a cultural clash—he was French and they were Spanish.  He was successful in bringing new priests (mostly French) and nuns to his diocese, which by 1867 had a population of 140,000 in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado.  He invited religious orders to establish schools and a hospital and traveled often around his archdiocese on horseback.  He was highly respected by Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  He served as the model for the title character in Willa Cather’s 1927 novel, “Death Comes for the Archbishop.”  Archbishop Lamy retired in 1885.

John B. Salpointe (1825-1898)

• Born in France and ordained a priest in France in 1851.
• Also served as first Vicar Apostolic of Arizona (1868-1884) and coadjutor Archbishop of Santa Fe (1884-1885).
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1885-1894).  

Salpointe had come to the United States in 1860, having been recruited by Bishop Lamy to serve in the Southwest.  As coadjutor archbishop, he became Archbishop upon Lamy’s retirement.  Archbishop Salpointe invited St. Katherine Drexel’s religious order to start a school for Native American children in 1894.  Archbishop Salpointe retired in 1894.

Placid L. Chapelle (1842-1905)

• Born in France and ordained a priest for Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1865.
• Also served as coadjutor Archbishop of Santa Fe (1891-1894).
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1894-1897).
• Later served as Archbishop of New Orleans (1897-1905).

Chapelle, as coadjutor archbishop, became Archbishop upon the retirement of Salpointe.  Archbishop Chapelle invited the Sisters of Charity to establish a hospital in Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Chapelle spoke English, Spanish, and French and was named Archbishop of New Orleans in 1897.

Peter Bourgade (1845-1908)

• Born in France and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Santa Fe in 1869.
• Also served as Vicar Apostolic of Arizona (1885-1897) and first Bishop of Tucson (1897-1899).
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1899-1908).

Archbishop Bourgade invited the Franciscans to minister to the Navaho people and other religious orders to establish schools and hospitals.  Bourgade also helped establish the Catholic Church Extension Society.  At the time of his death from heart failure in 1908, there were 45 parishes and 340 missions in the Archdiocese.

John B. Pitaval (1858-1928)

• Born in France and ordained a priest for Vicariate Apostolic of Colorado in 1881.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Santa Fe (1902-1909).
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1909-1918).  

Archbishop Pitaval established an orphanage for boys in Albuquerque and retired in 1918.

Albert T. Daeger, O.F.M., (1872-1932) 

• Born in Indiana and ordained a Franciscan priest in 1896.
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1919-1932).  

Archbishop Daeger was the first American-born Archbishop of Santa Fe.  Daeger continued the trend of bringing religious orders to the Archdiocese to open schools and hospitals.  He died in 1932.

Rudolph A. Gerken (1887-1943)

• Born in Iowa and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas, Texas, in 1917.
• Also served as first Bishop of Amarillo, Texas (1927-1933).
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1933-1943).  

Archbishop Gerken invited religious orders to establish a teachers’ college, hospital, and a nursing facility.  He also sought, through diplomatic channels, to provide relief to American prisoners of war in Japan and the Philippines during the Second World War [the record does not indicate whether he was successful].  Archbishop Gerken died from a stroke in 1943.

Edwin V. Byrne (1891-1963) 

• Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1915.
• Also served as the first Bishop of Ponce, Puerto Rico (1925-1929) and Bishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico (1929-1943).
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1943-1963).

Archbishop Byrne established churches and schools necessitated by the increased population around Los Alamos.  He also established three religious communities and two colleges (although neither college is currently operating).  Archbishop Byrne died in 1963 after having gallbladder surgery.

James P. Davis (1904-1988)

• Born in Michigan and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Tucson in 1929.
• Also served as Bishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico (1943-1960) and first Archbishop of San Juan (1960-1964).
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1964-1974).  

Archbishop Davis attended the Second Vatican Council which led to the creation of the permanent diaconate program and an office for ecumenical affairs.  He moved the Archdiocesan chancery to Albuquerque in 1967 and designated the Santuario de Chimayo as the official Archdiocesan pilgrimage site.  He retired in 1974.

Robert F. Sanchez (1934-2012)

• Born in Socorro, New Mexico, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in 1959.
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1974-1993).

Archbishop Sanchez was the first native New Mexican to be named Archbishop of Santa Fe.  He established an archdiocesan newspaper and wrote a pastoral letter on HIV/AIDS.  Sanchez advocated and established ministries for Native American and Hispanic Catholics.  He also sought to preserve historic churches.  Archbishop Sanchez also established a center to treat priests with addictions, including pedophilia.  This led to lawsuits that almost bankrupted the Archdiocese.  This, along with improper conduct with women, led to his resignation in 1993.

Michael J. Sheehan (born 1939)  

• Born in Kansas and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas, Texas in 1964.
• Also served as the first Bishop of Lubbock, Texas (1983-1993).
• Archbishop of Santa Fe (1993-2015).

Archbishop Sheehan emphasized ministries to Native Americans, started a RENEW program in the Archdiocese, and began an annual development fund.  Sheehan settled more than 150 sexual abuse lawsuits against the Archdiocese.  He also opened an Archdiocesan museum in 1993.  Sheehan speaks English, Italian, and Spanish.  Archbishop Sheehan retired in 2015.

Current Archbishop 

John C. Wester was appointed Archbishop of Santa Fe by Pope Francis in 2015.  He was born in California in 1950 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1976.  He previously served as auxiliary bishop of San Francisco (1998-2007), apostolic administrator of San Francisco (2005-2006), and Bishop of Salt Lake City (2007-2015).

The Cathedral

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

213 Cathedral Place

Santa Fe, New Mexico  87504

The Cathedral is named for St. Francis of Assisi.  Francis was born in the Italian town of Assisi, the son of a wealthy merchant.  Francis grew up seeking a life of pleasure, but a serious illness when he was about 20 changed him forever.  He gave up material things and began to preach the Gospel to all those who would listen.  He gained followers and in 1209 founded the Franciscan Order.  He and his Franciscans traveled throughout Italy and beyond imitating the life of Christ.  He received the stigmata (the imitation of Christ’s wounds on the cross)—the first recorded case in history—in 1224, and shortly before he died in 1226, composed his famous prayer, “Canticle of the Sun.”  He is considered one of the greatest saints since biblical times, and is certainly one of the more popular saints.  He is the patron saint of Italy, the environment, and Catholic Action.  His feast day is October 4.

Father, you helped St. Francis to reflect the image of Christ through a life of poverty and humility.  May we follow your Son by walking in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi, and by imitating his joyful love.

In 1610, both the town of Santa Fe and the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption were founded.  This early adobe church was replaced several times.  The fifth church was built in 1808 and became the cathedral for the first Vicar Apostolic of New Mexico, John Lamy, after he arrived in Santa Fe in 1851 and it became the cathedral church for the Diocese of Santa Fe when it was created in 1853.  Lamy built the current cathedral (the sixth church) around the existing adobe church, so that Mass could still be celebrated.  Construction started in 1869 and was mostly completed by 1886.  Bishop Lamy dedicated the Cathedral to St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscans, who had brought the Faith to New Mexico 300 years earlier.

Both pictures are by me.

The cathedral is made of brown limestone quarried in New Mexico and is primarily French Romanesque, with elements of adobe and modern style.  It has two unfinished towers and the doors feature bronze panels which depict the Catholic history of New Mexico.  There is a statue of Archbishop Lamy at the entrance to the cathedral and he is buried under the main altar.  A reredos stands behind the main altar and features paintings of American saints.  Stained-glass windows from France allow light into the interior of the cathedral.  La Conquistadora (Our Lady of Conquering Love) Chapel dates to the 1714 church and features a wooden statue of Our Blessed Mother brought from Mexico in the 17th Century.  It is the oldest Madonna in the United States.  A second chapel, dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, was built in 1967. 

Pope John Paul II bestowed the title of minor basilica on the cathedral in 2005.  Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  The Cathedral is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Cathedral Basilica’s website is cbsfa.org and the Archdiocese’s website is archdiocesesantafe.org.  The Cathedral is located in downtown Santa Fe and has four weekend masses—including one in Spanish.

All pictures are by me.

Diocese of Gallup

The diocese consists of four counties in northwestern New Mexico and two counties in northeastern Arizona.  The diocese has 63,000 Catholics (13 percent of the total population) in 52 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Gallup

Bernard T. Espelage, O.F.M (1892-1971)

• Born in Ohio and ordained a Franciscan priest in 1918.
• First Bishop of Gallup (1940-1969).  

Bishop Espelage‘s new diocese had 30,000 Catholics served by 32 priests, half of whom were, like Bishop Espelage, members of the Franciscans.  In the late 1960s, there were rumors that the Vatican might eliminate the Diocese in favor of a new Diocese of Phoenix, but Bishop Espelage argued otherwise.  The Diocese of Phoenix was created in 1969, but the Diocese of Gallup continued to serve 80,000 Catholics in northeastern New Mexico and northwestern Arizona.  Bishop Espelage attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council.  He was able to increase the number of parishes from 17 to 53 and the number of priests from 32 to 108.  Bishop Espelage retired in 1969.

Jerome J. Hastrich (1914-1995)

• Born in Wisconsin and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1941.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Madison, Wisconsin (1963-1969).
• Bishop of Gallup (1969-1990).  

Bishop Hastrich retired in 1990.

Donald Pelotte, S.S.S. (1945-2010)

• Born in Maine and ordained a priest for the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in 1972.
• Also served as coadjutor bishop of Gallup (1986-1990).
• Bishop of Gallup (1990-2008). 

Bishop Pelotte was the first Native American to be named a U.S. bishop in 1986 when he became the coadjutor bishop of Gallup.  He became Bishop in 1990 upon the retirement of Bishop Hastrich.  He set up training programs for Native American deacons and lay ministers.  He also advocated for canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha and for facilities to serve the homeless.  Pelotte encouraged the consolidation of Catholicism with Native American culture.  Bishop Pelotte suffered a severe brain trauma in his home in 2007 apparently from a fall.  He took a leave of absence before resigning in 2008. 

Current Bishop 

James S. Wall was appointed Bishop of Gallup by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.  He was born in Ganado, Arizona, in 1964, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Phoenix in 1998.  He previously served as a pastor and vicar for priests for the Diocese of Phoenix.  The Diocese declared bankruptcy in 2013 due to clergy sexual abuse lawsuits.

The Cathedral

Sacred Heart Cathedral

415 East Green

Gallup, New Mexico 87301

The Cathedral is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  St. John Eudes was a 17^th Century French priest who preached the loving nature of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Later in the same century, a French nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had visions of Jesus revealing that his Sacred Heart was filled with love and mercy for all people.  The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost.  Many Catholics also show devotion to the Sacred Heart by attending Mass and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ on the first Friday of each month. 

Oh Lord Jesus Christ, to Your most Sacred Heart I confide this intention {name petition}. Only look upon me, then do what Your love inspires. Let Your Sacred Heart decide. I count on You. I trust in You. I throw myself on Your mercy. Lord Jesus, You will not fail me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Your love for me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Your kingdom come. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have asked You for many favors, but I earnestly implore this one. Take it, place it in Your open Heart. When the Eternal Father looks upon it, He will see it covered with Your Precious Blood. It will be no longer my prayer, but Yours, Jesus. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You. Let me not be disappointed. Amen

Father George Julliard built the first Catholic church in Gallup in 1899 and the church was placed in the care of the Franciscans in 1909.  The church building was replaced in 1917 with a new church and this structure became Sacred Heart Cathedral in 1939 when the Diocese of Gallup was established by Pope Pius XII.  This cathedral was located on Hill Street between 4^th and 5^th Streets.  Bishop Espelage, the first Bishop of Gallup, built the current cathedral, which was completed in 1955 at a cost of half a million dollars.

From the Cathedral website.

The red-brick Cathedral was designed by John Gaw Meem, a Santa Fe architect, in a Mediterranean-Romanesque style.  This Cathedral has 12 arches on the north and south walls, symbolizing the 12 Apostles, and 7 arches on the west wall, symbolizing the 7 Sacraments.

The Cathedral website is sacredheartgallup.org and the Diocesan website is dioceseofgallup.org.  The Cathedral is located in downtown Gallup and has three weekend masses.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

Diocese of Las Cruces

The diocese consists of 10 counties in southern New Mexico.  The diocese has 235,000 Catholics (42 percent of the total population) in 47 parishes, as of 2015. 

Bishops of Las Cruces

Ricardo Ramirez, C.S.B. (born 1936) 

• Born in Texas and ordained a priest for the Congregation of St. Basil in 1966.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio, Texas (1981-1982).
• First Bishop of Las Cruces (1982-2013).  

Bishop Ramirez championed social justice especially for Native Americans and immigrants.  He retired in 2013.

Oscar Cantú (born 1966) 

• Born in Texas and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in 1994.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio, Texas (2008-2013).
• Bishop of Las Cruces (2013-2018). 
• Serves as coadjutor Bishop of San Jose, California (since 2018)

Cantu was appointed coadjutor Bishop of San Jose, California, in 2018.

Current Bishop

Currently vacant.

The Cathedral

Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral

1240 S. Espina

Las Cruces, New Mexico  88001

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary dates back to at least the 12^th Century.  The devotion became more popular thanks to St. John Eudes, a 17^th Century French priest.  Pope Piux VI, in 1799, allowed the Bishop of Palermo, Italy, to celebrate the Feast of the Pure Heart of Mary.  In 1944, Pope Pius XII ordered that the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary be celebrated worldwide.  The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is celebrated on the Saturday after the second Sunday after Pentecost.  Many Catholics also show devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by attending Mass and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ on the first Saturday of each month. 

Immaculate Heart of Mary, full of love for God and mankind, and of compassion for sinners, I consecrate myself to you.  I entrust to you the salvation of my soul.  May my heart be ever united with yours, so that I may hate sin, love God and my neighbor, and reach eternal life with those whom I love.  May I experience the kindness of your motherly heart and the power of your intercession with Jesus during my life and at the hour of my death. Amen.

A small 250-seat mission chapel was built in 1947 and was dedicated to Immaculate Heart of Mary.  This chapel became a parish church in 1953.  The parish soon outgrew this little church and plans were made for a larger church building.  Construction of the current church began in 1965 and was completed in 1967.  It became the Cathedral for the new Diocese of Las Cruces in 1982.

From Wikipedia.

The Cathedral was designed by Loren Mastin in a modern Southwestern style and seats 800.  The Cathedral’s 16 stained glass windows were designed by Andrea Bacigalupa of Santa Fe and made by the Santa Fe Church Art Studios.  The windows, which measure 18 inches wide by 23 feet tall, incorporate the early Christian symbol of a fish.

The Cathedral’s website is ihmcathedral.com and the Diocesan website is dioceseoflascruces.org.  The Cathedral is located less than a mile southeast of downtown Las Cruces and has five weekend masses—including one in Spanish—to serve 3,000 parish families.

The top picture is from quazoo and the bottom from snipview.

Also located in the Diocese 

Also in the Diocese is the Basilica of San Albino in Mesilla.  San Albino was established in 1851 after the Mexican War by Mexicans wishing to remain in Mexican territory.  However, in 1854, Masilla became part of the United States.  The first log church was replaced by a traditional adobe church in 1856, which in turn was soon replaced by a French-style building.  The current Romanesque-style Church was completed in 1908.  San Albino’s bells date to the 1870s and 1880s.  Pope Benedict XVI designated it as a minor basilica in 2008.  The Basilica’s website is sanalbino.org.

The top picture is from Flickr, the middle from Wikipedia, and the last from TripAdvisor.

Arizona

Catholic History of Arizona

Arizona shared much of its history with New Mexico until 1863, when Congress established the Territory of Arizona.  In the 1860 Census, there were 6,500 people in Arizona, two-thirds of whom were Native Americans.  Tucson was the largest town with a population of 900.  By 1870, the Territory’s population had grown to just under 10,000, about half of which were Catholics.  By the time Arizona became the 48^th state in 1912, it had a population of over 200,000.

Catholicism had come to Arizona with the Spanish Franciscans in the 16^th Century, but the most famous missionary to Arizona was a Jesuit, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, who established several missions to the Native Americans in southern Arizona, including San Xavier del Bac, near Tucson in the 1690s.  Father Joseph Macheboeuf found few Catholics in Arizona when he came to Tucson in 1859.  John Salpointe came to Tucson in 1866 as pastor of St. Augustine’s Church.  Two years later, Pope Pius IX appointed him to be the first Vicar Apostolic of Arizona.  At the time, there were parishes only in Tucson and Yuma.

The growth in Arizona’s population (over 100,000 in 1900 including 40,000 Catholics) in the years leading to statehood led Pope Leo XIII to create the Diocese of Tucson in 1897 and to appoint Peter Bourgade as the first bishop.  At the time of Statehood in 1912, the boundaries of the Diocese of Tucson were aligned to those of the new State.  The Diocese of Gallup was established in 1939, and in 1969, Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Phoenix.

Diocese of Tucson

The diocese consists of 9 counties in southern Arizona.  The diocese has 386,000 Catholics (19 percent of the total population) in 35 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Tucson

John B. Salpointe (1825-1898) 

• Born in France and ordained a priest in France in 1851.
• First Vicar Apostolic of Arizona (1868-1884).
• Later served as coadjutor Archbishop of Santa Fe (1884-1885), and Archbishop of Santa Fe (1885-1894).

John Salpointe came to the United States from France in 1860, having been recruited by Bishop Lamy to serve in the Southwest.  Salpointe became pastor of St. Augustine’s Church in Tucson in 1866 prior to becoming the first Vicar Apostolic of Arizona in 1868.   Bishop Salpointe was successful in meeting the needs of his young diocese, which then included Arizona, southern New Mexico, and El Paso County in Texas.  He recruited French priests to open churches and missions and invited orders of nuns to open schools.  He finished construction of St. Augustine Cathedral.  He was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Santa Fe in 1884 and became Archbishop the following year.  After his tenure as Archbishop of Santa Fe, Salpointe returned to Tucson and wrote a history of the Church in the Southwest.

Peter Bourgade (1845-1908)  

·         Born in France and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Santa Fe in 1869.

·         Vicar Apostolic of Arizona (1885-1897) and first Bishop of Tucson (1897-1899).

·         Later served as Archbishop of Santa Fe (1899-1908).

Bourgade was named the first Bishop of Tucson in 1897 and served only two years before becoming Archbishop of Santa Fe in 1899.  During his brief tenure, Bourgade established schools and orphanages.  His Diocese was reduced somewhat to include Arizona and four and a half counties in New Mexico.

Henry Granjon (1863-1922) 

• Born in France and ordained a priest in France in 1887.
• Bishop of Tucson (1900-1922).  

Bishop Granjon focused on Hispanic Catholics, especially the poor.  Granjon built St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix and ministered to the large numbers of Mexicans who settled in Arizona during his time as bishop.  Bishop Granjon died in France in 1922.

Daniel J. Gercke (1874-1964)

• Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1901.
• Bishop of Tucson (1923-1960). 

Gercke was the first American-born Bishop of Tucson and would serve Arizona for almost four decades.  Bishop Gercke resolved a dispute between English and Spanish-speaking Catholics by opening new parishes for Spanish-speaking Catholics in Phoenix and Flagstaff.  He also opened a seminary and recruited 60 priests from Ireland.  He built new parishes and schools (including Brophy and Xavier College Preparatory Schools in Phoenix) to keep up with the large population growth after the Second World War—Arizona’s population increased by more than 50 percent between 1950 and 1960.  He also opened the first office for Catholic Charities in 1933 to help those impacted by the Great Depression.  He retired in 1960.

Francis J. Green (1906-1995) 

• Born in New York and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Tucson in 1932.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Tucson (1953-1960).
• Bishop of Tucson (1960-1981).

Bishop Green attended the Second Vatican Council and enthusiastically implemented the Council’s decrees.  He helped establish the Arizona Ecumenical Council and advocated for social justice.  He developed ministries for African American, Native American, and Hispanic Catholics.  Green also restored St. Augustine’s Cathedral and built several new schools to keep up with population growth.  Bishop Green retired in 1981.

Manuel D. Moreno (1930-2006)

• Born in California and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1961.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles (1977-1982).
• Bishop of Tucson (1982-2003).

In 2002, the Diocese settled 11 sexual abuse lawsuits by 16 victims for $14 million.  Many of these crimes were committed by one priest and many commentators have accused Moreno of being slow to deal with the priest, who was later laicized by the Vatican.  Moreno retired in 2003.

Gerald F. Kicanas (born 1941) 

• Born in Chicago and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1967.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago (1995-2001) and coadjutor bishop of Tucson (2001-2003).
• Bishop of Tucson (2003-2017).

Bishop Kicanas focused on vocations, the permanent diaconate, and lay ministry.  He also was praised for his handling of the clergy sexual abuse scandal, which led the Diocese to declare bankruptcy in 2004.  He served as Vice President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Bishop Kicanas retired in 2017.

Current Bishop 

Edward Weisenburger was appointed Bishop of Tucson by Pope Francis in 2017.  He was born in Illinois in 1960 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 1987.  He previously served as Bishop of Salina, Kansas (2012-2017).

The Cathedral

St. Augustine Cathedral

192 S. Stone Ave.

Tucson, Arizona  85701

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was born a Catholic in what is now Algeria, but in his late teens joined the Manichees, a heretical sect, and about the same time, fathered a son out of wedlock.  He eventually returned to the Church, influenced by his mother, St. Monica, and by St. Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan in what is now Italy.  Augustine went on to become one of the greatest theologians—he is their patron saint.  He is the author of “Confessions” and “City of God”—books that are still widely read.  He became Bishop of Hippo, in northern Africa, in 395, and was declared one of the four original Doctors of the Church in 1298.  His feast day is August 28.

Glorious St. Augustine, look upon me with compassion, and pray for me to be a worthy child of God our loving Father.  Let me say with you:  too late have I known you, too late have I loved you, so that I may repair my past sinful life by the most ardent, generous love for my divine spouse.  Ask for me a share in your profound humility, that I may ever be little and humble in my eyes, preferring to be made little account of, in order to resemble him, who underwent such deep humiliations for the love of me.  Obtain also for me, unbounded courage and confidence, patience and kindness.  At the hour of death may I go home to my heavenly Father in your dear company and there may we praise almighty God for all eternity.  Amen.

The Spanish built a fort at the site of modern day Tucson in 1776.  Within the fort was a chapel dedicated to St. Augustine.  This chapel was eventually abandoned and it was not until Father Jean Salpointe arrived in 1866 that a permanent church was built to serve Tucson’s Catholics.  Father Salpointe was named the first Vicar Apostolic of Arizona in 1869 and this church, which had once been a house, became his cathedral.  The Cathedral was rebuilt in 1928 with brick and stone in a Mexican Baroque style modeled after a Mexican cathedral.  The Cathedral was almost completely rebuilt—only the facade and towers remained—between 1966 and 1968.  The Cathedral has two towers and seats 1,250.  According to the Cathedral’s website, St. Augustine is the second most photographed building in the Southwest.

Sources from the top--Cathedral website, pinterest, Wikipedia

The Cathedral’s sandstone façade features a bronze statue of St. Augustine and the coats of arms of Pope Pius XI and four Bishops of Tucson as well as symbols of the Four Evangelists.  The façade also features representations of various desert plants and animals, including the saguaro, nopal, yucca, and horned toad.

Within the vestibule are statues of the Sacred Heart, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Anthony, St. Jude, and St. Joseph.  Much of the 1960’s restoration was under the direction of John Alan, a Phoenix artist and historic preservationist.  Alan used trompe l’oeil painting and ornamental art to decorate the Cathedral.

The floor slopes slightly giving everyone a clear view of the altar.  Above the main altar is a painting of the Risen Christ and a crucifix that was carved in Spain in the 12^th or 13^th Century and is 17 feet tall.  The main altar, pulpit, lectern, and baptismal font were carved from walnut wood by David Rico.  

The side carved wood altars are dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament and to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The 12 stained glass windows above the arches feature symbols of the Apostles and the history of the Franciscans and Jesuits in Arizona.  The lower 8 windows were made in Germany and were originally installed in the 1928 cathedral.  These windows have themes from the life so St. Augustine.  The window above the main entrance has a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  The Cathedral’s pipe organ was designed and built by David McDowell in Tucson and has 38 ranks.

The Cathedral’s website is cathedral-staugustine.org and the Diocesan website is diocesetucson.org. 

The Cathedral is located in downtown Tucson and six weekend masses—two of which are in Spanish.

The top picture is from pinterest, the middle is from the Cathedral website, and the bottom is a picture of the chapel from the Cathedral website.

Diocese of Phoenix

The diocese consists of 4 counties in central and northern Arizona.  The diocese has 1.1 million Catholics (18 percent of the total population) in 93 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Phoenix

Edward A. McCarthy (1918-2005)

• Born in Ohio and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1943.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Cincinnati (1965-1969), coadjutor archbishop of Miami (1976-1977), and Archbishop of Miami (1977-1994).
• First Bishop of Phoenix (1969-1976).  

Growth in Arizona’s population, which had begun after the Second World War, continued during Bishop McCarthy’s time as Bishop.  He responded by building 19 new parishes and many new schools.  He developed an annual appeal to pay for new construction and for charitable purposes.  He also implemented changes from the Second Vatican Council, including the establishment of a priest’s council, a diocesan pastoral council, and a permanent diaconate program.  He opened the Kino Institute for adult spiritual education and a program for spiritual renewal.  He also advocated for the rights of migrant workers.  He was named coadjutor archbishop of Miami in 1976 and became Archbishop of Miami the following year.

James S. Rausch (1928-1981)

·         Born in Minnesota and ordained a priest for the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota, in 1956.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of St. Cloud, Minnesota (1973-1977).

·         Bishop of Phoenix (1977-1981).

Bishop Rausch established an Office of Worship to improve liturgical celebrations and educate Catholics about the liturgy.  He also established a marriage task force to improve marriages and decrease the divorce rate.  Rausch was an advocate for the underprivileged and was a strong supporter of Cesar Chavez and his United Farm Workers union.  Bishop Rausch died of a heart attack in 1981 at the age of 53.

Thomas J. O’Brien (1935-2018) 

·         Born in Indiana and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Tucson in 1961.

·         Bishop of Phoenix (1982-2003).  

Bishop O’Brien moved quickly to eliminate the Diocese’s debt and establish an endowment fund to keep the Diocese out of debt.  He also started a Diocesan newspaper, established 15 new parishes, and ordained 69 diocesan priests.  O’Brien began a ministry for Black Catholics and also sought to meet the spiritual needs of Arizona’s newest immigrants from Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines.  He began Life Teen, a youth program that now exists in many U.S. parishes.  O’Brien also sponsored meetings to welcome back lapsed Catholics—3,000 returned to the Church—and he hosted visits by Pope John Paul II in 1987 and Mother Teresa in 1989.  O’Brien admitted to county prosecutors that he had covered-up allegations of sexual abuse by Diocesan priests and he resigned in 2003 after killing a pedestrian in a car accident.

Current Bishop 

Thomas J. Olmsted was appointed Bishop of Phoenix by Pope Benedict XVI in 2003.  He was born in Kansas in 1947 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1973.  He previously served as coadjutor bishop of Wichita, Kansas (1999-2001) and Bishop of Wichita (2001-2003).

The Cathedral

Saints Simon and Jude Cathedral

6351 North 27^th Avenue

Phoenix, Arizona  85017

St. Simon and St. Jude, or Thaddeus, were two of the twelve Apostles.  They spread the Faith throughout the Middle East and were apparently martyred together in what is now Iran.  St. Jude was the brother of St. James the Less and is the patron saint of hopeless causes.  The Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude is observed on October 28. 

Father, you revealed yourself to us through the preaching of your apostles Simon and Jude.  By their prayers, give your Church continued growth and increase the number of those who believe in you.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The parish of Saints Simon and Jude was established in 1953.  As the population of Phoenix grew, the need for a new church was recognized and a larger church structure was completed in 1966.  Three years later, the Diocese of Phoenix was created by Pope Paul VI and Saints Simon and Jude became the Cathedral church for the new bishop, Edward McCarthy.

Picture was taken by me.

The exterior of the Cathedral is made mostly from red brick and features a 75-foot bell tower.  The Cathedral seats 1,200 people and the interior is dominated by three large arches, including one over the sanctuary.  A bronze statue of the Risen Christ is behind the main altar.  There is also a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Pope John Paul II visited the Cathedral in 1987 and Mother Teresa visited in 1989.

The Cathedral website is simonjude.org and the Diocesan website is dphx.org.  The Cathedral is located six miles northwest of downtown Phoenix and has seven weekend masses—including two in Spanish—to serve 3,200 parish families.  The parish elementary school has an enrollment of 500.

All pictures were taken by me.

Also located in the Diocese 

St. Stephen Cathedral in Phoenix is the Cathedral for the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix.  It is one of four Ruthenian-rite dioceses in the United States.  The diocese serves 3,000 Catholics in 19 parishes in 8 western states.

The Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception is also in Phoenix.  St. Mary’s—established in 1881—is the oldest Catholic church in the Phoenix area.  The current church, which is staffed by Franciscan priests and located in downtown Phoenix, was completed in 1914.  Pope John Paul II designated it as a minor basilica in 1985.  It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Saint Mary's Basilica was designed in a Spanish Mission style with four domes and has many stained glass windows.  The Basilica’s website is saintmarysbasilica.org.

The top picture is from the Basilica's website and the bottom picture is from TripAdvisor.