| In 1860, Bishop Fitzpatrick recognized that the church in Boston
had outgrown the old Cathedral on Franklin St. However, the Civil War interrupted
the plans for the new Cathedral. Bishop Fitzpatrick died in 1866 and Bishop Williams
took over planning for the Cathedral project. Ground was broken for the new
Cathedral on April 29, 1866. The rites of dedication were performed on December 8,
1875 by Archbishop John J.Williams, Boston's first archbishop. |
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is a cruciform
neo-Gothic edifice. The total length of the Cathedral is 364 ft.; the width at the
transepts 170 ft., the width of nave and aisles 90 ft., and the height to the ridgepole
120 ft. The pews accommodate over 2,000 people. The entire interior is clear space, broken
only by two rows of columns extending along the nave and supporting the central roof. |
