The first time I stepped in the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis I was brought to tears. Although I am not Catholic, a Catholic friend asked if we could stop by the Cathedral on our lunch break. I am a woman of faith however, never before in my life have I felt so close to God as I did the day I walked into the Basilica of St. Louis. It truly was an overwhelming feeling, in fact I was compelled to kneel and pray. You don't need to be a hardcore religious fanatic to be mesmerized by this stunning masterpiece and I suppose it affects everyone differently but, for me it took my breath away and left me speechless. I did not know what I was walking into beforehand or that it even existed. It was literally 20 years ago though and I still remember how I felt when I walked through the doors to this amazing church.
The main structure of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis was designed by George D. Barnett of Barnett, Haynes, and Barnett of St. Louis.
The altar, the baldachino, and the Lower Sanctuary mosaics, were also designed by Barnett. In 1916 the mosaics were installed by the Gorham Company of New York. The main structure was completed in 1914. George John Magualo of Magualo and Quick designed the semi circular Sacristy. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel and its mosaics were also designed by Barnett and installed by Gorham in 1916-1917.
A formal organization was formed to promote the new cathedral project in St. Louis in 1871. Groundbreaking didn't begin until 1907 however, because planning was stalled. It wasn't until seven years later that enough of the church was complete and it was ready for a dedication ceremony. In 1926 the church was consecrated however, the breathtaking mosaics weren't completed until 1988.
The detailed mosaics are mindblowing. The amount of detail and care invested is hard to comprehend. The mosaics collectively contain 41.5 million glass tesserae pieces in more than 7,000 colors, and cover 83,000 square feet.
Depicted with mosaics are important events from the history of the archdiocese, the life of St. Louis IX, King of France, and scenes from Scripture.
The detail covering the walls, ceilings, and floors, in the Cathedral Basilica are covered with breathtaking artwork and it can easily take hours to take it all in.
If you ever have a chance to visit this beautiful piece of St. Louis Catholic history, you absolutely should!
The church is still a working Catholic church offering mass and is available for weddings if you are Catholic.
If you are planning on visiting, then you definitely will want to call to ensure there are no special events scheduled. But the church is open to all walks of faith for touring, however, some church events are not open to the public such as weddings. The Cathedral Basilica is definitely something to put on your St. Louis bucket list. There are no words to describe its beauty. Have you visited the Basilica in St. Louis? Click here to Check out another amazing chapel in Missouri!
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