The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament - Altoona, PA
N 40° 30.967 W 078° 24.202
17T E 719981 N 4488283
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is the center of the Altoona-Johnstown diocese.
Waymark Code: WM13J46
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 12/22/2020
Views: 4
The cathedral is of Indiana limestone in the high style of the Italian Reaissance. The dome mirrors Florentine architecture. The shape of the structure is cruciform with three aisles, with the dome placed at the crossing of the transepts within the main nave.
Construction began on the site of the first Catholic church in Altoona, Saint John the Evengelist. Ground was broken in 1924 and the cornerstone laid in 1926. Construction continued until the stock market crash of 1929.
Cardinal Dennis Dougherty of Philadelphia formally dedicated the unfinished structure on September 7, 1931. The interior of the cathedral was an empty shell of bare brick and rough concrete. Services were held with temporary furnishings.
The third and fourth bishops, Most Reverend Richard Guilfoyle and Most Reverend Howard Carroll, gathered the funds to complete the cathedral. The interior was finally ready for daily worship on November 13, 1960.
information from the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament information booklet, 2007
Address:
One Cathedral Square
Altoona, PA 16601
Religious affiliation: Roman Catholic
Date founded or constructed: Formally dedicated September 7, 1931
Web site: [Web Link]
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