Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Philadelphia)
| Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception |
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| 39°57′58.95″N 75°9′0.91″W / 39.9663750°N 75.1502528°WCoordinates: 39°57′58.95″N 75°9′0.91″W / 39.9663750°N 75.1502528°W | |
| Location | 830 N. Franklin St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church |
| Website | ukrcathedral |
| History | |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Julian K. Jastremsky |
| Style | Byzantine Revival |
| Completed | 1966 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,810. |
| Length | 172 feet (52 m) |
| Width | 128 feet (39 m) |
| Nave width | 104 feet (32 m) |
| Height | 106 feet (32 m) |
| Number of domes | 5 |
| Dome height (inner) | 106 feet (32 m) |
| Dome diameter (outer) | 100 feet (30 m) |
| Materials |
Limestone Architectural concrete |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Archeparchy of Philadelphia |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Rev. Stefan Soroka |
| Rector | Rev. Roman Pitula |
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Ukrainian Catholic cathedral located in the Poplar neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the seat for the Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
Ruthenians, as Roman Catholics who adhered to the Byzantine Rite in the Austro-Hungarian Empire were known, started immigrating in sizeable numbers to the United States in the late 1870s. A Ruthenian priest immigrated in 1884 and blessed their first church building in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. The earliest immigrants to Philadelphia settled in Northern Liberties between Sixth and Seventh Streets, south of Girard Avenue. They founded Immaculate Conception parish in 1886.
In 1964, as plans were being made to replace the 1907 cathedral, several members of the congregation wanted the new church to be built in the suburbs where they lived. Archbishop Ambrose Senyshyn chose to build on the property where the old church stood hoping that the East Poplar Redevelopment Area would rejuvenate the neighborhood. The cornerstone was laid on October 16, 1966 and it contains a stone from St. Peter's tomb that Pope Paul VI gave to Archbishop Senyshyn.Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral on October 4, 1979.
The cathedral was designed by Julian K. Jastremsky in the Byzantine Revival style. It was modeled after Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The cathedral's central dome is covered with 1/4 inch square Venetian glass tiles made of 22 karat gold fused in the glass. The dome's interior features a mosaic of the . At the base of the dome there are 32 windows. They depict the coat of arms of the regions of Ukraine, the popes, the bishops and the religious orders that contributed to the growth of the Ukrainian Catholic church in the United States.
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