Cathedral of the Incarnation (Nashville, Tennessee)

The Cathedral of the Incarnation, located at 2015 West End Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee, is the cathedral seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville. It is named after the mystery of the Incarnation, which celebrates the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary, by which God became man according to Christian teaching. Due to the contemporary expansion of academic construction in the West End Neighborhood, the cathedral is now surrounded by the campus of Vanderbilt University.

Cathedral of the Incarnation
Cathedral of the Incarnation is located in Tennessee
Cathedral of the Incarnation
Cathedral of the Incarnation
Cathedral of the Incarnation is located in the United States
Cathedral of the Incarnation
Cathedral of the Incarnation
36°9′2.88″N 86°47′58.56″W / 36.1508000°N 86.7996000°W / 36.1508000; -86.7996000
Location2015 West End Ave.
Nashville, Tennessee
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitecathedralnashville.org
History
StatusCathedral
DedicationIncarnation
Consecrated1914
Architecture
Architect(s)Fred Asmus
StyleItalianate
Groundbreaking1907
Completed1914
Specifications
MaterialsLimestone
Administration
DioceseDiocese of Nashville
Clergy
Bishop(s)J. Mark Spalding
RectorFr. John Hammond
Church interior

There have been three cathedral churches in Nashville. The first was the Holy Rosary Cathedral, which is now demolished, and which occupied the site of what is now the Tennessee State Capitol.[1][2] The second was Saint Mary's Cathedral, which still stands on the corner of Fifth and Church Streets.

Construction of the Cathedral of the Incarnation began in 1910 under the direction of Bishop Thomas Sebastian Byrne. It was completed and dedicated July 26, 1914. The church has undergone three major renovations, one in 1937, another in 1987, and the most recent which began in March 2019.[3] The 1987 renovation was supervised by Father Richard S. Vosko, a liturgical design consultant and priest of the Diocese of Albany who has overseen the redesign and renovation of numerous churches and cathedrals around the country.[4] The 2019 renovation was begun by Father Edward Steiner and is being completed by Father Eric Fowlkes.

The church's architecture is modeled after the traditional Roman basilica, specifically the basilica San Martino ai Monti in Rome. The primary architect was Fred Asmus.

See also

edit

Sources

edit
  1. ^ "First Catholic Church in Tennessee - Nashville, Tennessee". Waymarking.com.
  2. ^ "Holy Rosary Cathedral". Historical Marker Project. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  3. ^ "Historic Nashville cathedral gets major renovation". WTVF News. March 20, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  4. ^ "Cathedral of the Incarnation". Richard S. Vosko. Archived from the original on 2011-12-13. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
edit