Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

About the Cathedral

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, commonly called St. John's Cathedral, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise and the seat of the Bishop of Boise. Situated in downtown Boise, Idaho, the parish traces its roots to the first Catholic congregation in the territorial capital (1870) and counts roughly 1,600 households today. The pastor's welcome notes that the parish was founded in 1876 and that, when the Diocese of Boise was established, the parish church became the Cathedral — the cathedra or chair of the Bishop. The sandstone Romanesque Revival building, designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel and dedicated in 1921, remains the visual and liturgical heart of Catholicism in the state of Idaho.

History

The first Catholic church in Boise (St. Patrick's, on the site of the former St. Alphonsus Hospital at Fifth and State Streets) was dedicated on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1870, and was destroyed by fire just 18 days later. A wood-frame replacement, built in 1876, served as the cathedral of the Vicariate Apostolic of Idaho (created 1883) and later of the Diocese of Boise (established 1893, with Bishop Alphonse Glorieux as first bishop). By 1902, Bishop Glorieux had purchased the present block (Fort, Hays, Eighth, and Ninth Streets) and engaged Tourtellotte & Hummel to design a much larger cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in 1906.

• 1870 — First Catholic church in Boise dedicated on Christmas Eve; destroyed by fire 18 days later.
• 1876 — Wood-frame St. John's built at Ninth and Bannock; serves as the cathedral.
• 1883 — Vicariate Apostolic of Idaho erected in Rome.
• 1884 — Alphonse J. Glorieux named Vicar Apostolic of Idaho.
• 1893 — Vicariate elevated to Diocese of Boise; Glorieux becomes first Bishop.
• 1906 — Cornerstone of the present cathedral laid.
• 1912 — Basement enclosed; parish begins worshipping in the lower level.
• 1916 — Walls, roof, and superstructure completed.
• 1917 — Bishop Glorieux dies in Portland on the 50th anniversary of his ordination.
• 1918 — Msgr. Daniel Mary Gorman appointed second Bishop of Boise.
• March 27, 1921 — Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist dedicated on Easter Sunday by Bishop Gorman.
• 1952, 1960 — Interior cleaning and remodeling.
• 1978 — Cathedral building individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• 1979 — Major restoration/rededication led by Charles Hummel, grandson of original decorator Charles F. Hummel.
• 1981 — Idaho Historic Preservation Council Orchid Award.
• 1982 — Parish block added to NRHP; St. John's Cathedral Block and Fort Street Historic District designations.
• 2020–2021 — Centennial restoration of the lower-level chapel by architect Rob Thornton.
• 2021 — 100th anniversary of the cathedral's dedication celebrated with a centennial Mass.

Architecture & Sacred Art

The cathedral was designed in the Romanesque Revival style by the firm Tourtellotte & Hummel, one of the first architectural practices to work in Boise. The architects drew inspiration from the Cathedral of Mainz in western Germany and the Basilica of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse, France. The cruciform building measures 170 feet (52 m) from front to back, 95 feet (29 m) across the transepts, and 65 feet (20 m) in the nave, seating roughly 1,000 people. The exterior is built of Boise Sandstone quarried from Table Rock, east of the city. A 3-manual, 2,900-pipe organ built by Tellers-Kent of Toledo, Ohio, was installed in 1921.

• Architects: Tourtellotte & Hummel
• Style: Romanesque Revival (inspired by Mainz Cathedral and Basilica of Saint-Sernin, Toulouse)
• Materials: Boise Sandstone from Table Rock; cruciform plan
• Dimensions: 170 ft long × 95 ft at transepts × 65 ft in nave; seats ~1,000
• Organ: 3-manual, 2,900-pipe organ by Tellers-Kent, 1921
• Stained-glass windows depicting the saints (restored 1979)
• Decorative gargoyles metaphorically bearing the burden of the church on their backs
• Lower-level chapel remodeled for the centennial (2020–2021) by Rob Thornton, exposing original stone and opening a dome in the ceiling

Clergy & Staff

The parish is pastored by the Bishop of Boise, Most Rev. Peter F. Christensen, M.A., D.D., assisted by Rector Rev. Germán Osorio (also Military Chaplain at Gowen Air Base) and Parochial Vicar Rev. Tim Segert. Three deacons — Daniel (Dan) Gamboa, OFS (who also serves as parish Administrator), Bill Burns, and Mark Geraty — support parish life. The staff team includes a Director of Music (MJ Price), Director of Religious Education (Ariana Collins), Director of Cathedral Montessori (Teresa Wittry), Facility Director (John Ysursa/Parish Administrator Diana Tetreault, with Deacon Gamboa overseeing facilities), Director of Hispanic Ministry (Oscar Sanchez), Finance Manager (Maria Trejo), and others. St. Joseph's Catholic School, the oldest continuously operating Catholic school in Idaho (since 1900), is led by a principal (Randy McCormick).

• Bishop / Pastor: Most Rev. Peter F. Christensen, M.A., D.D.
• Rector: Fr. Germán Osorio ([email protected])
• Parochial Vicar: Fr. Tim Segert ([email protected])
• Deacons: Daniel Gamboa, OFS (Administrator); Bill Burns; Mark Geraty
• Director of Music: MJ Price
• Director of Religious Education: Ariana Collins
• Director of Cathedral Montessori: Teresa Wittry
• Director of Hispanic Ministry / Marriage & Baptism Prep: Oscar Sanchez
• Finance Manager: Maria Trejo ([email protected])
• St. Joseph's Catholic School Principal: Randy McCormick ([email protected])

Sacraments

The parish prepares the faithful for all the sacraments of initiation and continues to walk with them through marriage and anointing. Baptism and Marriage preparation are coordinated in English (with Spanish-language ministry offered through Oscar Sanchez and the Comité Hispano). Adults seeking to become Catholic journey through OCIA, while children of catechetical age (7+) who are unbaptized or uncatechized enter the Order of Catholic Initiation of Children (OCIC) and receive the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil.

• Baptism Preparation (English): Oscar Sanchez
• Marriage Preparation (English): Deacon Bill Burns; Matrimony Advocate: John Ysursa
• OCIA (Becoming Catholic): John Ysursa, PhD
• OCIC — Order of Catholic Initiation of Children, ages 7–18 (sacraments at the Easter Vigil)
• Reconciliation (Confession): see confession schedule; First Reconciliation typically in 2nd grade
• Confirmation, First Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick, and visits to the sick/homebound

Facilities, Tours & Visiting

The Cathedral campus occupies the city block bounded by Fort, Hays, Eighth, and Ninth Streets and includes the Cathedral itself, the parish office, the Riffle Center for Faith Formation (home of the Food Bank and Religious Education) at 775 N. 8th Street, and St. Joseph's Catholic School at 825 W. Fort Street. Docent-led historical tours of the cathedral are offered by parish volunteers; contact Tim Sullivan ([email protected]). The 2016 Orchid Award recognized a preservation-sensitive new landscape and playground designed with INSIGHT Architects, with safety of the St. Joseph's schoolchildren in mind.

• Cathedral: 707 N. 8th Street, Boise, ID 83702
• Parish Office / Riffle Center for Faith Formation: 775 N. 8th Street
• St. Joseph's Catholic School: 825 W. Fort Street (208-342-4909, [email protected])
• Phone: 208-342-3511 · Fax: 208-342-1564 · Email: [email protected]
• Docent Tours: Tim Sullivan ([email protected])
• Food Bank Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed 1–3 PM (closed major holidays)

Diocese of Boise

The Diocese of Boise was established on August 25, 1893, when the Vicariate Apostolic of Idaho was elevated by Pope Leo XIII. It is led by the Most Rev. Peter F. Christensen, M.A., D.D., the seventh Bishop of Boise, who was appointed in 2014, having previously served as Bishop of Superior. The diocese encompasses the entire state of Idaho; its cathedra is at St. John's Cathedral. Earlier bishops of Boise include Alphonse J. Glorieux (1893–1917), Daniel Mary Gorman (1918–1927), Edward Joseph Kelly (1928–1956), James Joseph Byrne (1956–1962), Sylvester William Treinen (1962–1988), Tod David Brown (1989–1998), and Michael P. Driscoll (1999–2014).

• Diocese of Boise — established August 25, 1893
• Current Bishop: Most Rev. Peter F. Christensen, M.A., D.D. (since 2014)
• Diocesan website: https://www.dioceseofboise.org/
• Covers the entire state of Idaho