St. John's Cathedral (Lafayette, Louisiana)

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Front façade
Map
Location515 Cathedral Street
Lafayette, Louisiana
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitewww.saintjohncathedral.org
History
StatusCathedral
DedicatedJune 27, 1916[1]
Architecture
Functional statusActive
StyleRomanesque Revival
Specifications
Number of towers1
Administration
ProvinceNew Orleans
DioceseLafayette (Louisiana)
Clergy
Bishop(s)J. Douglas Deshotel
RectorVery Rev. Chester C. Arceneaux, V.F.[2]
Priest(s)Rev. Seth Lemaire, JCL (Parochial Vicar),
Rev. Cyprian Eze (In Residence)
Deacon(s)Dcn. Todd McKee,
Dcn. George Jourdan
St. John's Cathedral
St. John's Cathedral (Lafayette, Louisiana) is located in Lafayette
St. John's Cathedral (Lafayette, Louisiana)
Location515 Cathedral Street, Lafayette, Louisiana
Coordinates30°13′22″N 92°01′25″W / 30.22291°N 92.0235°W / 30.22291; -92.0235
Area7 acres (2.8 ha)
Built1916
ArchitectCousin
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.79001067[3] (original)
100009428 (increase)
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 27, 1979
Boundary increaseJanuary 25, 2024

The Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist or La Cathédrale St-Jean, originally called l'Église St-Jean du Vermilion, is the cathedral and mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. It was the first parish in Lafayette Parish—founded in 1821—and was designated cathedral upon the erection of the diocese in 1918.[4][5]

The historic church—located at 515 Cathedral Street in downtown Lafayette—is the third structure built on the site. The land was donated in 1821 by Jean Mouton, a wealthy planter who had founded the town as Vermilionville.[6] The cornerstone was laid in 1913, and the church was completed in 1916 in the Dutch Romanesque Revival style. A large red and white brick structure, its notable features include stained glass produced in Munich depicting the life of the patron, oil paintings of Christ and the Apostles, and a Casavant Frères organ.[4][5]

St. John's Cemetery is the oldest in the city of Lafayette.[7] Notable burials include Jean Mouton, who donated the property for the church; his son Alexandre Mouton, a U.S. senator and governor of Louisiana; his grandson Alfred Mouton, a Confederate general in the American Civil War; and Jefferson Caffery, a distinguished U.S. diplomat who was a Lafayette native.

The church and a 7-acre (2.8 ha) area comprising the Bishop's residence and the cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 1979.[3] The listing was enlarged in 2024.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist celebrates 100 year dedication". KLFY-TV. June 27, 2016.
  2. ^ "Parish Staff". saintjohncathedral.org.
  3. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  4. ^ a b "St. John's Cathedral" (PDF). State of Louisiana's Division of Historic Preservation. Retrieved July 9, 2018. with two photos and a map
  5. ^ a b Ms. Beverly Latimer. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form: St. John's Cathedral". National Park Service. Retrieved July 9, 2018. With seven photos from 1979.
  6. ^ Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. "Cathedral of Saint John".
  7. ^ "Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist". Saintjohncathedral.org. May 30, 2008. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
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