Catholic cathedral exists in name only

[rug]

The foundation of the Holy Name Cathedral in Brisbane was constructed. Some of it remains to this day. City Hall and St John's Cathedral can be seen in the background. Photo: Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane

April 19, 2015 - 12:00AM
Cameron Atfield
Brisbane Times and Sun-Herald journalist

If the late Brisbane Catholic Archbishop James Duhig's vision had been realised the northern entrance to the CBD would be a whole lot more holy.

And imposing.

The Holy Name Cathedral, which would have been large enough to accommodate 4000 worshippers, was to have been the single biggest cathedral to be attempted in any part of the world for 300 years.

An 82-metre cupola would have towered over the imposing building, which Duhig championed during his 48-year tenure as Archbishop between 1917 and 1965, and would have dominated the northern end of the inner city.



The proposed Holy Name Cathedral in Brisbane. Photo: Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/catholic-cathedral-exists-in-name-only-20150418-1mncy8.html

[47of74]

1. This reminded me of something that happened here.

When the population of Dubuque underwent one of its first expansions in the 1840s the first St. Raphael's Cathedral was filled to capacity every Sunday. Bishop Loras planned a second parish in Dubuque on Main Street between 7th and 8th streets. Construction actually got to the point where a foundation was put down and a cornerstone was laid in 1849. Then work stopped and the project was abandoned. The site was eventually sold. The site became part of the main shopping district before all the stores moved out to the west end.

By the late 1850s even with the addition of two parishes (St. Patrick's and the Church of the Holy Trinity) the Cathedral was reaching capacity on Sundays. Loras had work started on the current Cathedral then at 2nd and Bluff, which was over three times larger than the original Cathedral.