Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul (Philadelphia)
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Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul
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(2013)
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| Location | 18th St. & Benjamin Franklin Parkway at Logan Square Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 39°57′26.23″N 75°10′8.18″W / 39.9572861°N 75.1689389°WCoordinates: 39°57′26.23″N 75°10′8.18″W / 39.9572861°N 75.1689389°W |
| Built | 1846-1864 |
| Architect |
Napoleon LeBrun, et al. John Notman, et al. (dome and facade) Constantino Brumidi (murals) |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance, Palladian |
| NRHP Reference # | 71000720 |
| Added to NRHP | June 24, 1971 |
The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, head church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is located at 18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, on the east side of Logan Square in Philadelphia. It was built from 1846-1864 and was designed by Napoleon LeBrun – from original plans by the Reverend Mariano Muller and the Reverend John B. Tornatore – with the dome and Palladian facade designed by John Notman added after 1850. The interior was largely decorated by Constantino Brumidi.
The cathedral is the largest Catholic church in Pennsylvania, and was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The cathedral has been the site of two papal Masses, one celebrated by Pope John Paul II in 1979, and the other by Pope Francis in 2015. The current rector of the cathedral is the Reverend Gerald Dennis Gill.
On the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, June 29, 1846, Bishop Kenrick, then Bishop of Philadelphia, issued a pastoral letter announcing his determination to build a cathedral.
Before Saint Peter and Paul was built Philadelphia had two previous Cathedrals; the first Catholic Church in Philadelphia was Saint Joseph's which was built in 1733. As the Catholic Church grew a new church called Saint Mary's was built in 1763 which eventually was granted to be Philadelphia's first cathedral in 1810. As the Catholic Church continued to grew Saint John's was eventually made the new cathedral in 1838 when a larger church was needed and it was Saint John's that remained the Cathedral until Bishop Kenrick began work on the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
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