History & Significance
Cathedral · Est. Parish founded 1889; present cathedral building dedicated December 18, 1904
St. Joseph parish was founded in 1889 by Rev. Nicolas F. Scallon, who celebrated one of Oklahoma City's first Masses shortly after the 1889 Land Run. The present Gothic Revival brick church was dedicated by Bishop Theophile Meerschaert on December 18, 1904, and became the first cathedral of the newly established Diocese of Oklahoma City in 1905, serving as its seat until 1931. Severely damaged by the 1995 bombing of the nearby Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, it was restored and reopened. It now serves as a parish church of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
Gothic Revival, brick, with a central spired tower flanked by two crenellated towers
- •Founded 1889; first Catholic parish/church built in Oklahoma City after the Land Run
- •Present church dedicated December 18, 1904, by Bishop Theophile Meerschaert
- •Served as the first cathedral of the Diocese of Oklahoma City from 1905 to 1931
- •Severely damaged in the April 19, 1995 Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing; restored and reopened
- •Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978; now a parish of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
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