HISTORY

Welcome to the Cathedral of St. Andrew the Apostle, named after Andrew, the brother of Peter, and the first of the apostles called by Jesus. The Cathedral is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

The history of the Cathedral of St. Andrew dates back to the early part of the 19th century, when Catholics in Arkansas were few in number and bigotry and prejudice were very strong against the church. Little by little, through the persistent efforts of the bishops and priests of the Cathedral, progress was made until now, over 150 years later, the Cathedral stands as a symbol of faith, fidelity and family to the Catholics of the Diocese of Little Rock, the state of Arkansas.

The early history of the Cathedral parish began with the coming to Little Rock of the priests from the Diocese of St. Louis. According to church records, Fr. Peter Donnelly celebrated the first Mass celebrated in Little Rock in 1830, in a room over Dugan’s Store at 2nd and Main Streets. As the number of Catholics grew, a building on East Markham near Third Street was later used for religious purposes.

In 1839, Fr. Joseph Richard Bole and Fr. Paris were sent to Little Rock to build a permanent structure on the grounds formerly occupied by the Arcade Building between 6th and 7th Streets on Louisiana. This property which was donated by Colonel Chester Ashley, is directly opposite the cite of the present Cathedral. The first Catholic Church erected was plain but comfortable. In the spring of 1841, the Most Reverend Bishop Loras of Dubuque, Iowa, dedicated the church and at that time was called the “Old
French Church.” Later in the same year, a convent was built for the Sisters of Loretto who opened a school for day pupils.

In 1843, Arkansas was separated from the Diocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Little Rock was established by Rome, and on March 10 1844, the Right Reverend Andrew Byrne was consecrated as the first Bishop of Little Rock.

In 1845, Bishop Byrne purchased property at 2nd and Center Streets and there he erected the first St. Andrew’s Cathedral. The first Mass in the new Cathedral was offered on November 1, 1845, when Bishop Byrne consecrated the Cathedral under the patronage of St. Andrew the Apostle.

Fr. Patrick Reilly was appointed the first rector of the Cathedral and labored most zealously for the people of the parish, who treasured his efforts. After 29 years of service to the Cathedral, his health became
seriously impaired and, upon the advice of his physicians, he returned to Ireland in 1879, where he died in 1882. As a memorial to Father Reilly, the bell in the tower was dedicated in his honor.

Realizing the need for co-workers in the cause of the Catholic Church in Little Rock, Bishop Byrne went to Ireland to secure a community of the Sisters of Mercy to serve in his Diocese. On November 30, 1850, Bishop Byrne and eleven Sisters of Mercy sailed for home. They arrived in Little Rock on February 5, 1851, and upon their arrival, the Bishop surrendered his home adjoining the Cathedral for their use. At that time the parish roster numbered 12 families. The Sisters of Mercy opened a day school with an attendance of 35 pupils, nearly all of who were non-Catholics. A Sunday school was also opened at that time with two children in attendance. After the completion of the Cathedral on West 2nd Street, the Sisters of Mercy took up residence in the “Old French Church” at the corner of 7th and Louisiana. As the parish grew, a larger building was erected on the corner of 6th and Louisiana.

The old Cathedral at 2nd and Center Streets, built by Bishop Byrne in 1845, was eventually too small for the congregation. Bishop Edward Fitzgerald and Archbishop Patrick John Ryan, who preached the sermon, laid the cornerstone of the new Cathedral at 7th and Louisiana on Sunday, July 7, 1878. Construction began in 1878 and the Church was dedicated on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, 1881. On November 30, 1881, the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, Bishop Fitzgerald had the remains of Arkansas’ first bishop, the Right Reverend Andrew J. Byrne, removed from Helena, Arkansas and brought to the new Cathedral.

The new Cathedral measures 140 feet in length and 86 feet across the transept made of wood from around the state. The walls are 36 feet high, the style is English Gothic, and the material is native granite, quarried at nearby Fourche Mountain, south of Little Rock. There are two towers, the tallest reaching 220 feet.

The bishop ordered work on the steeple to be discontinued until the local Masonic Temple was constructed so that the Cathedral’s steeple would be higher.

The church is constructed in the form of European cathedrals, in the shape of a Latin cross. The center section is called the nave, while the cross section is called the transept. According to tradition, the main altar and the congregation face east and the main doors are on the west façade.

The transept runs north and south. The church structure has twelve quatre-lobe pillars, six on either side, supporting the roof, symbolic of the twelve apostles holding up the foundation of the Church. The Gothic arch, which was developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries to support high walls, allowing for more light from the stained glass windows, is prominently used in the windows and the doorways.

The main windows are 13 feet wide and 28 feet high, while the side windows measure 5 by 22 feet. These stained glass windows came from the New York office of Mayer of Munich. All of the stained glass windows are original except the right middle pair of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Albert the Great, which was damaged in a storm.

The interior is finished in native wood and the roof is crafted of exposed timbers, with the original gold stenciling still remaining. The magnificent main marble altar was a gift of Mr. And Mrs. Alexander Hager. The total cost of the Cathedral at the time exceeded $470,000, and Bishop Fitzgerald acquired most of these funds outside of the diocese.

The architect for the Cathedral was Mr. Thomas Harding of Little Rock. The congregation at the time numbered 1500. Interior finishing was added to the building, which included the Stations of the Cross, fresco work, a new pipe organ, and a Sanctuary Lamp. Along the walls are the 14 Stations of the Cross representing the suffering and passion of Jesus. These Stations are large in proportion to the size of the Cathedral because they were originally designed for the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois, which was being constructed at the same time. The mix-up was never corrected.

The great progress and the ever increasing prosperity of the Catholic Church in Little Rock was strongly emphasized on the afternoon of July 7, 1878, when the cornerstone of the new St. Andrew’s Cathedral was dedicated to the service of Almighty God by His Excellency, the Rt. Reverend Edward Fitzgerald, Bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock.

On June 11, 1906, the Most Reverend John B. Morris, Vicar General of the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, was consecrated Coadjutor Bishop of Little Rock.

Shortly after Bishop Morris’ arrival in Little Rock, Bishop Fitzgerald, who had been in failing health for some years, died in Hot Springs on February 21, 1907. Bishop Morris succeeded to the See of Little Rock.

It was during the Great Depression, that $20,000 was raised to purchase a magnificent organ consisting of more than 3,000 pipes and 25 bells. This instrument, which consumed most of the choir loft, was hailed as perhaps the finest organ in the state of Arkansas at the time.

In December of 1923, because of the increasing attendance of the Cathedral School, it was necessary to purchase additional property to provide for the future growth of the school. The spacious home and grounds of John M. Gracie on East Sixth Street was purchased for $60,000. After suitable alterations had been made, Bishop Morris blessed the new school in January of 1924. The Cathedral School, which had been under the direction of the Sisters of Mercy, later came under the capable direction of the Olivetan
Benedictine Sisters of Jonesboro, Arkansas. The exodus of parishioners, who were moving out of downtown to Pulaski Heights and western Little Rock, resulted in the closing of the Cathedral of St. Andrew School in 1962, and the selling of the school building.

Upon the death of Bishop Morris in 1946, the Most Reverend Albert L. Fletcher, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese, was appointed to succeed as bishop. In 1941, St. Andrew’s Parish Hall at 9th and Louisiana was built.

In September of 1947, extensive repairs had to be made to the roof, walls, and steeple at a cost of approximately $50,000. Although the Cathedral’s exterior remains practically the same, the interior has changed throughout the years. Beneath the vestibule floor was once the original crypt where the bishops were entombed until 1962, when a new crypt was constructed downstairs in the north transept of the Cathedral. The four former bishops of Arkansas entombed there are: Andrew Byrne, Edward Fitzgerald, John Morris, and Albert Fletcher.

Each tomb is marked with a plaque giving the bishop's name, place of birth, ordination of priesthood and episcopacy, and where he died. The first two are in Latin as was the custom of the earlier Church. Their individual Coat of Arms is also displayed on the plaque.

A new rectory was built in 1966, replacing the original Victorian Bishop’s residence. Msgr. McDevitt oversaw the extensive renovation of the Cathedral Church in 1975, incorporating the liturgical changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council.

In 1972, when Bishop Fletcher retired, Pope Paul VI appointed Msgr. Andrew J. McDonald of Savannah, Georgia, to be the fifth Bishop of Little Rock, and the Cathedral was the scene of his installation on September 7, 1972. Three years later, with $190,000 contributed in memorials, the Cathedral underwent its most extensive renovation. The sanctuary was expanded into the apse, a new altar of sacrifice was installed and high-spire wooden screens were set behind the original altar where the Holy Eucharist is still reserved in the tabernacle. The original back altar, made of Italian marble, was modified in 1975 having some of the ornate towers removed.

Above the tabernacle, in front of the crucifix is the Bishop’s candle. It is symbolic of the time before electricity, when altar servers would hold the candle enabling the bishop to read and teach from his chair. The candle is always lit when the bishop celebrates Mass, signifying his role as teacher. Colorful carpeting and the walls repainted in graduating tones set off the Cathedral’s magnificent ceiling. The baptistry at the back of the church was converted to a confessional and vestry, and the baptismal font was moved to the right of the sanctuary. Around the Cathedral are statues of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and the child Jesus, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Sts. Peter and Paul. The images of these holy people are a reminder to us of the call for each Christian to follow in the path of Jesus Christ. The old confessionals at the rear were removed so the vestibule could be converted into a room with a glass wall providing a view of the Cathedral’s interior. As you enter the vestibule of the Cathedral, there is a significant replica of the Pieta, a sculpture by Michelangelo.

At the back of the Cathedral is the reconciliation room, which also serves as the vesting sacristy for the priests. There you will see the triangular stained glass window of St. Andrew. This window was originally above the altar with four other windows depicting the four Gospel writers. They were removed in the 1975 renovation and relocated elsewhere in the sanctuary area.

The original bishop’s chair, or "cathedra," was restored and blessed on the feast of St. Andrew in 1991. It is from this Latin word that the term "Cathedral" originated. In 1990, the parish undertook the work of having the interior of the Cathedral repainted and partially re-plastered. The exterior of the
Cathedral was tuck-pointed, damaged wood replaced and repainted, and the entire exterior resealed.

In 1992, the old Moller organ was in need of complete restoration, and Nichols and Simpson undertook a yearlong project to completely renovate the organ pipes. The new organ has over 3,000 pipes and 67 ranks.

To the right of the sanctuary is the original marble baptismal font. It was modified to allow water to flow into the newly constructed pool symbolizing the flowing and living waters of Christ. This new baptistry, which permits baptisms by immersion, was completed for Easter of 1994. On the bottom of the pool is a shell pattern, a predominant symbol of baptism. Behind the baptismal font is the “Ambry” which is a repository containing urns of the Holy Oils: the Sacred Chrism, Oil of the Catechumens, and Oil of the Sick. These oils are blessed at the Chrism Mass on the Monday of Holy Week. The priests from all parishes throughout the Diocese carry the oils back to their parishes to be used throughout the year in the sacraments.

Other recent building projects include the construction of a walkway bridge from the Church to the rectory, installation of new restroom facilities, a choir rehearsal room, music office, and nursery, which were completed in 1993. A new parish hall and education center was built on the corner of 6th and Louisiana Streets. Dedication of these new facilities, named in honor of Bishop McDonald, took place on November 1, 1995, which also marked the inauguration of the Cathedral’s sesquicentennial.
Six flags rise from the columns in the nave. These are the papal and diocesan flags as well as the historical Spanish, French, American and Arkansas flags.

In 1994, the Cathedral received a telephone call from the director of Arkansas’ Territorial Restoration in Little Rock. They had received a telephone call from an elderly lady, Averill Tate, who lived in the downtown area. The roof of Ms. Tate’s home had been damaged in a recent storm and she needed a place to stay. In doing so, she came across "these angels" in her basement that also needed a new home. Ms. Tate was charged with watching over these terra cotta angels for the nuns during a renovation project of the Cathedral in the 1950’s. As fate would have it, the renovation project was completed on the church interior, but the 1,000 pound angels remained silent in their newfound home. Local artist Joan Rectin and her husband David began the task of restoring the angels. On October 2, 1996, the feast of the Guardian Angels, the statues of the two Angels, which originally graced the sanctuary, were refurbished and returned to the main altar of the Cathedral.

November 3, 1996, marked the closing ceremonies of the Cathedral’s Sesquicentennial celebration. A permanent bronze marker was placed on the site of the original Cathedral at 2nd and Center Streets.

On October 25, 1998, magnificent new bronze doors, weighing 500 pounds a piece, made in Ortese, Italy, were installed in preparation for the third Millennium of Christianity and were dedicated in honor of Bishop McDonald’s Golden Anniversary of Priesthood and the 26th Anniversary of service to the Diocese as Bishop.

In March of 2000, Bishop J. Peter Sartain, from Memphis, Tennessee, became the sixth bishop of the diocese, and his coat of arms can be seen over the bishop’s chair.

In the spring and summer of 2000, the carpeting was removed from the nave of the Cathedral and the marble and terrazzo floors were restored. In January of 2001, the chandeliers in the vestibule were replaced. A new sound system was also installed. Additional plasterwork and painting has been required. Continued plans and efforts are underway to restore the original beauty of our historic Cathedral.