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Mar 05, 2014

Christ Church Cathedral Celebrates 175 Years

Christ Church Cathedral, 1890
Former Deans of the Catheral (l-r) Milton Richardson
(later Diocesan Bishop), Hamilton Kellogg, and
John Hines (later Diocesan & Presiding Bishop)
The past four Deans of the Cathedral:
(r-l) Pittman McGehee (5th Dean), Walter Taylor (6th),
Joe Reynolds (7th), and Barkley Thompson (8th)
Modern day Christ Church Cathedral, Houston

Christ Church Cathedral celebrates the 175th anniversary of its founding on March 16, 2014. Founded in 1839, when Houston was still the capital of the Republic of Texas, Christ Church was the city's first religious congregation and the only one still worshiping on its original site.

 

The congregation met in a number of temporary locations, including the capitol building on the site of the Rice Hotel, until the first church was built at the present location on Texas and Fannin. The first gift to the church came from a man driving cattle to the nearby train station. When he learned they were building a church, he cut a cow from the herd and presented it as a donation.

 

The current church building dates from 1893 although some of the stained glass windows date from the 1880s from a previous structure. A fire destroyed much of the chancel in 1938 and renowned architect William Ward Watkin was consultant to Carl Mulvey for much of the restoration. The elaborately carved rood screen did not fit the original structure, but it did save the church during the fire as the firemen used it to create a wall of water to prevent flames from spreading to the rest of the church. The cathedral organ was installed in 1939 and was a revolutionary design for its time.

 

Christ Church became the Cathedral church of the diocese in 1948. The history of the Cathedral mirrors the history of downtown Houston, growing and ebbing at different times. Today the Cathedral has over 3000 members who come from across Houston and include descendants of the original founding families.

 

From the beginning, Christ Church served people of many religions and races. The first Bishop of Texas, Alexander Gregg, believed that all races should worship together and Christ Church had black members before and after the Civil War. Today this diverse congregation includes members who attend a Spanish service and monthly worship for families with special needs children. Renowned for its music program, the Cathedral also serves as the home for the Houston Chamber Choir and hosts performances by outside groups.

 

Christ Church was the incubator for many social services organizations including New Hope Housing, Sheltering Arms Senior Services, DePelchin Children's Center, and Bering Omega Community Services. Today, the Cathedral’s ministries to the community include The Beacon, which provides lunch, laundry, showers, medical and social services to hundreds of homeless clients each week.

 

“Since its founding in 1839, Christ Church has lived every day into its mission “to proclaim the love of Jesus Christ through word and deed to the parish, the diocese and the downtown community.” said the Very Rev. Barkley S. Thompson, Dean of the cathedral. “In the best possible sense of the word, I am proud of Christ Church Cathedral and the many ways in which we share God’s love with each other and the city around us. The light of Christ shines in everything we do from offering a smile to knitting prayer shawls; from proclaiming the gospel in word and music on Sunday mornings to Christmas at the Cathedral.  It is our purpose to be a beacon in this part of God’s kingdom. It is our calling.”

 

Events scheduled to mark the celebration include “Christ Church Cathedral: An Early History in Photographs” open to the public during the month of March with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 7. On March 16, the anniversary of the founding of Christ Church, there will be observances during all of the Sunday services, and during the 10 a.m. Education Hour, festivities will include a screening of the oral history documentary Capturing our Historical Memory. On May 4, the 115th anniversary of the Cathedral May Fete, Christ Church will again celebrate Houston’s oldest community event.

 

ABOUT CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL
For more than 170 years, a building has stood in downtown Houston on the corner of Texas and Fannin bearing witness to the Episcopal church in Houston. Today Christ Church Cathedral occupies two blocks in the heart of Houston and houses a variety of outreach ministries, a bookstore, a restaurant, an art gallery, a Montessori school and the offices of the Bishop of Texas.