Parish/Church
St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Green Bay - http://sfxcathedralgb.com
Date and Mass time
May 4, 2014, 9AM Mass
Celebrant
Fr. John Girotti (Deacon Tom Mahoney)
Weather
Cool (Low 40’s) but sunny and beautiful!
The trip there and back
Simple but beautiful trip to Green Bay and back home.
Parish History
Key historical dates:
1851 - Cathedral church was established
1868 - Diocese of Green Bay was established
1881 - St Francis Xavier Cathedral was consecrated
1904 - twin tower belfry sections were added
1918 - three story sacristy was added
1959 - three enclosed entrances added and interior remodeled
2004 - Bishop Wycislo Center was completed - new home of Diocese Museum
Humble Beginnings
Bishop Joseph Melcher was appointed the first bishop. When he arrived in Green Bay in the summer of 1868, he chose a modest, wooden frame church constructed by the German immigrants, located on Madison Street to be the "pro-Cathedral" which meant temporary until the present structure could be built. The church, formed in 1851, was named "The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary" and was commonly called "St. Mary's" or the "German Church".
Cathedral Consecrated
St Francis Xavier Cathedral was consecrated on November 20, 1881 after five years of Interior of Cathedral construction. The original Cost of $35,000 was contributed by the immigrant population of the area, the Bavarian Mission Society in Germany, including a donation from King Ludwig I and friends of Bishop Francis Xavier Krautbauer, the second Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay. The architecture is Romanesque in form and was modeled on the Ludwigkirche in Munich, Germany, where then Msgr. Krautbauer was pastor before immigrating to the United States.
Bishop Krautbauer is interred under a granite slab in the floor at the Bishop Wycislo entrance. A 40 by 25 foot mural entitled "The Crucifixion" is painted on the rear wall of the sanctuary. It was painted in 1883 by Johann Schmitt, a German Immigrant. Eight paintings by Josef Albrecht were installed in the Cathedral in the early 1900's representing the eight beatitudes. The figures of the four evangelists are painted on the ceiling of the sanctuary. A double circle joins them with the phrase "The Word of the Lord Endreth Forever" inscribed within the ring. The four evangelists and their symbols are also carved on the front of the wooden abo to the right.
Recent Updates
The most recent sanctuary renovation began in 2006. The present altar is carved white Carrara marble and the relics of St. Boniface, St. Timothy, St. Tiburtius and St. Francis Xavier repose in the altar stone. Between the pillars on the left side of the sanctuary is the cathedra or bishop's chair. The coat of arms of Bishop David Ricken is hung above it. An altar dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help is located on the left side of the sanctuary and is the only original altar from 1881. The altar, known as the Peace altar since World War I, honors the men and women of the parish who served in the armed forces. Above the altar is a mosaic of the third version of this icon. A bronze plaque on the first pillar on the right, facing the sanctuary, lists the Bishops of the Green Bay Diocese.
Rose Window and Organ
The Liebmann Memorial Rose window was installed in the 1950's and is titled "The Mystical Body of Christ" It is made of over 4,000 pieces of glass by the Columbia Art Glass Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The Joseph Francis Memorial organ was installed by the Wickes Organ Company of Highland, Illinois in 1982 and is played during all liturgies. It has 56 ranks, 4 manuals and 3,282 pipes.
Looking to the Future
The Cathedral parish is rapidly growing with new families joining monthly. A crying room is in the planning phase. We offer a unique faith formation program called "Credo" geared toward students first through twelfth grade.
Reflections
Today Kay and I started our pilgrimage. Well, today was the “official start”, as we have been visiting churches our whole lives, but today we started the official venture. We hope God approves.
We felt it was appropriate to start at the “top” and visit the cathedral first. We have both been there separately, me for Chrism Masses and Ordination and Kay when she was young, but we had never been there together. Mass was at 9am and we arrived around 8:30. If was First Communion Sunday, so we were in for a special treat.
The Cathedral is handled differently than most rural churches. More formal and certainly grander based on the building, the history, and its surroundings. But it is still church and we are there because Jesus IS there.
We weren’t able to do much before Mass as the Rosary had started, but that was a special treat too as we were able to partake in that. Fr. John Girotti and Deacon Tom Mahoney presided over a wonderful Mass that was laced (not sure if that is the right word for this) with a lot of Latin, including the Gloria, the Holy, and other sung parts of Mass. Fr. John’s homily was directed to the 6 new First Communicants and was excellent in that it not only taught them well, but was a great lesson for young and old alike. (I may never view an orange quite the same way again)
I would say the highlight of the day, other than receiving the Sacrament myself, was seeing the youngsters receiving Jesus for the first time. Yes, it DID help me remember my First Communion.
After Mass we were pleased to see many remain for prayer and many to congregate and visit. We were able to Thank Deacon Tom and Fr. John but not really talk to them. We did take a little tour of the church ourselves and got some nice pictures. It is a truly beautiful place and certainly filled with God. I think we may return for Adoration someday just to spend quiet time alone there.
So our first trip was a good one!!! I am glad my beautiful bride is going with me on this pilgrimage as I would likely never do it alone. She seems to have enjoyed it and is looking forward to the next trip in June! St. Peter the Fisherman is the current plan…
God Bless you all!
Curt and Kay Nelson
Pictures
