Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Oklahoma City)

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Catholic cathedral in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.

Cathedral of
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Location in Oklahoma
35°30′10″N 97°31′51″W
Location3214 N. Lake Ave.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitecathedralokc.org
History
StatusCathedral
Founded1919
Architecture
StyleItalianate
GroundbreakingJuly 3, 1923
CompletedFebruary 1924
Specifications
Number of spiresOne
MaterialsBrick
Administration
DioceseArchdiocese of Oklahoma City
Clergy
ArchbishopMost Rev. Paul Coakley
RectorRev. John Metzinger

History

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish was established in 1919 when Bishop Theophile Meerschaert, the first Bishop of Oklahoma City, assigned Monsignor Monnot its first pastor on January 19.[1] Mass for the parish was initially celebrated in an automobile showroom on Classen Boulevard. The first church building was a wood structure built in May 1919 on NW 31st Street between Western and Lake. The following month the parish held a ground breaking for a combination church and school building.

Construction of the present church building was begun on July 3, 1923, and was completed in February 1924. A frame rectory was completed in July of the same year. Pope Pius XI elevated Our Lady of Perpetual Help to a cathedral in 1931, replacing St. Joseph Cathedral downtown..[1]

Thirty Vietnamese families, refugees from the Vietnam War, joined the parish in 1975. Their numbers have continued to grow in the succeeding years.

The parish undertook a renovation project in 1993 that included a new pipe organ by W. Zimmer and Sons of Charlotte, North Carolina, a new baptistery, electrical and other additions to the parish plant.

Past Rectors

Parochial School

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School opened in September 1919 with 90 students in twelve grades.[1] Three Sisters of Mercy, who resided in a frame house across the street, served as faculty. The parish changed the name of the school in 1932 to honor Bishop John Carroll, the first Catholic Bishop in the United States. The parish added new wing to the school in 1939 and constructed a new convent in 1941. The former convent is now called Mercy Center and houses a variety of parish functions. As part of the 1993 renovation project the parish constructed a gymnasium and classroom building.

See also

References
  1. "Our History". Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Archived from the original on 2011-10-09. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
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