At first glance, it doesn’t seem that old, but Saint Peter’s Catholic Church is marking it’s 200th anniversary in a few short years.
This old church was recently restored, and our photo group got the chance to have a little tour and free reign to photograph the old gal. (Well, almost free reign, the organ balcony was locked and two ‘slave’ balcony’s, with railings only a foot tall, were out of code and not safe to use.) The doors of the bright white, pillared, church opened to a reveal modest-sized traditional church that was given new life. The refinished floors and pews were shiny, with a warm and inviting caramel hue. The gold-plated lighting, with candle-shaped lightbulbs, were bright and lit with pride the ceiling which was newly painted to look like the heavens above. Even the smallest details of brass, marble and wood were polished and cleaned with care.
We had the pleasure of hearing some history from one of the staff members, and it was fascinating. Saint Peter Catholic Church was dedicated on May 25, 1834, becoming the first Catholic church in Richmond. After St. John Episcopal Church on Church Hill, the structure is the second oldest church in the city and the oldest to be built on Grace Street.
At that time, the Catholic Dioses was not very welcome in the city and were unable to buy land to build a church, so Bishop Dubois secured the land at Grace and Eighth Streets through a group designed to purchase for the Dioses. Father O’Brien raised funds for the building of St. Peter, which was built in a neoclassic style, similar to the Church of Saint Philippe de Roule, in Paris. St. Peter Church was named after the Prince of the Apostles, Saint Peter. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.
The Church also served as the cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond from the 1800’s until 1906, when the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was consecrated.
Did you know a church can only be called a Cathedral if the Bishop’s chair is there? I did not.
So, while there may be many Catholic churches in one area, each Diocese will only have one “Cathedral”.
For more info on the history of the church – see their website.
Enjoy!
This old church was recently restored, and our photo group got the chance to have a little tour and free reign to photograph the old gal. (Well, almost free reign, the organ balcony was locked and two ‘slave’ balcony’s, with railings only a foot tall, were out of code and not safe to use.) The doors of the bright white, pillared, church opened to a reveal modest-sized traditional church that was given new life. The refinished floors and pews were shiny, with a warm and inviting caramel hue. The gold-plated lighting, with candle-shaped lightbulbs, were bright and lit with pride the ceiling which was newly painted to look like the heavens above. Even the smallest details of brass, marble and wood were polished and cleaned with care.
We had the pleasure of hearing some history from one of the staff members, and it was fascinating. Saint Peter Catholic Church was dedicated on May 25, 1834, becoming the first Catholic church in Richmond. After St. John Episcopal Church on Church Hill, the structure is the second oldest church in the city and the oldest to be built on Grace Street.
At that time, the Catholic Dioses was not very welcome in the city and were unable to buy land to build a church, so Bishop Dubois secured the land at Grace and Eighth Streets through a group designed to purchase for the Dioses. Father O’Brien raised funds for the building of St. Peter, which was built in a neoclassic style, similar to the Church of Saint Philippe de Roule, in Paris. St. Peter Church was named after the Prince of the Apostles, Saint Peter. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.
The Church also served as the cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond from the 1800’s until 1906, when the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was consecrated.
Did you know a church can only be called a Cathedral if the Bishop’s chair is there? I did not.
So, while there may be many Catholic churches in one area, each Diocese will only have one “Cathedral”.
For more info on the history of the church – see their website.
Enjoy!