About the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City, Kansas:
Through most of the 19th century, Catholics in Dodge City initially a dedicated parish, relying on visiting priests. Sacred Heart Parish, the first in the area, was established in 1882 with a wooden Gothic Revival church. Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish formed later, building its first church in the early 20th century.
Sacred Heart became a cathedral in 1951 when the Diocese of Dodge City was established. The cathedral replaced the older Sacred Heart Cathedral (a 1916 Mission-style building) and reflects the diocese’s Hispanic heritage through its dedication to Our Lady of Guadalupe. By the late 1990s, the diocese needed larger facilities for growing parishes and diocesan events. Under Bishop Ronald Gilmore, Sacred Heart Cathedral and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish merged into a new cathedral.
Groundbreaking occurred on May 20, 2000 (with soil from every parish in the diocese incorporated into the site). The cathedral was consecrated on December 9, 2001, and the first parish Mass followed shortly after.
The cathedral is an octagonal postmodern structure designed by Robert Habiger (of the Albuquerque firm Dekker/Perich/Sabatini; sources sometimes reference “Hilter,” likely a variant or associate). The exterior is Silverdale limestone from near Arkansas City, Kansas and the roof is made of copper. It has seating for about 1,400–1,430 people.
Key exterior elements include a front plaza with a fire pit used during the Easter Vigil and tall copper doors (14 feet high) with grapevine-shaped handles. The interior uses white oak pews, granite for the altar and ambo, Cuban mahogany and ziricote for the cathedra (bishop’s chair) and tabernacle (which rises 7 feet and combines polished bronze and wood).
Artist Huberto Maestas created the Stations of the Cross and main crucifix. The baptismal font is cross-shaped, and the sanctuary floor uses limestone. A Sacred Heart Chapel honors the predecessor cathedral.
There are seven interior shrines dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe (with a 1950 image by Mexican artist Tobias Villaneuvo), patrons of religious orders, the Holy Family, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Isidore and St. Maria, and St. Maria Goretti.
Traveling to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City, Kansas:
Address:
3231 N 14th Ave.
Dodge City, KS 67801
Phone: +1 (620) 225-4802 Fax: +1 (620) 338-8268
Email: receptionist@dodgecitycathedral.com
Visit the official website of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City, Kansas