By SALINA POST
Salina Post proudly presents Flashback Friday in partnership with the Smoky Hill Museum. Enjoy a weekly tidbit of local history from the staff at Salina Post and the Smoky Hill Museum as we present "Salina-Flashback Fridays."
Christ Cathedral
The worshiping community that would become Christ Cathedral began in 1868 when the first new Episcopalian was baptized in Salina, Anne Griffith Sharpe, born in September of 1866.
By 1870 the congregation consisted of nineteen families and gathered in the store owned by a member, in lot #98 on Santa Fe Ave in Salina. Today, this location is where Vernon’s Jewelers sits.
In 1871, the parishioners of the newly named Christ Church purchased lot #127, the east side of 8th Street between Iron and Walnut Street and there erected a small frame church, which was consecrated, or set aside for holy worship, the week after Trinity Sunday 1875.
According to David Sachs in his article for The Society of Architectual Historians, by 1901, the rapid growth in the population of Kansas, which had grown from just over 100,000 in 1864, when the Diocese of Kansas was formed, to almost 1.5 million, justified the division of the diocese into two sections.
The existing diocese, located in Topeka, would continue to serve the eastern part of the state, and the new diocese would serve the western part of the state, with Salina as its base. The city had a well-established Episcopal church, a population of over 6,000, and a robust manufacturing base, which promised continued growth. It was also served by three railroad lines, which provided relatively easy access to western Kansas.
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That was 149 years ago next week.
In 1903, the Missionary Diocese of Salina, was formed and the newly elected Bishop stepped off the train and determined that Salina would house the principal church for the whole diocese, the Cathedral.
On Tuesday, May 29, 1906, the cornerstone was laid for the new Cathedral across the street from the original church. On January 8, 1908, the Cathedral as it stands today, opened her doors for worship. A procession led by a St John’s Cadet at crucifer, processed across the street and into the building.
From that day to this, the exterior of the Cathedral has changed very little, proving that a prayerfully planned Cathedral can stand the test of time.
According to David Sachs in his article for The Society of Architectual Historians, The Cathedral's windows were originally clear glass, but over time donations from church members allowed all 34 windows to be replaced with stained glass from various glass studios; J. R. Lamb Studios fabricated 22, the Black Starr and Goram Studios contributed six, and the Len Howard Studios completed five of the windows.
The replacement of the Cathedral's windows began a few years after the building was completed and continued into the 1990s.
In 1977 a new organ, built by M.P. Moller Company, replaced the original 1907 House of Pilcher Organ. Overseen by Cathedral Organist Royce Young, now Canon Precentor Emeritus, this organ includes four divisions, pipes that range in size from less than one foot to 32 feet, with pipes constructed of wood, tin lead and zinc.
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According to David Sachs in his article for The Society of Architectual Historians, in addition to the organ, the bells are a signature feature of the Cathedral. The original bells were installed at the time of construction and in 1990 the bells were restored. Three new bells were added to the original 23, and a new keyboard was installed.
While the Cathedral building continues to fulfill the purpose to which it was dedicated, the grounds of the Cathedral have seen significant changes and served many purposes.
Adjacent to the campus of the Cathedral, a home was built for the “Dean”, or senior clergy of the Cathedral, which housed Deans and families until 1991.
At that time, Bishop Ashby of the Diocese of Western Kansas, with the steadfast support of parishioners turned the house into a shelter for was renamed “Ashby House” and repurposed to provide shelter and support for unhoused and financially challenged families in Salina.
More than just a shelter, it was intended to “provide shelter, and board and skills needed for a family to get a fresh start.” The ministry begun in the last century endures today in the good work of Ashby House, now a freestanding service organization.
The Cathedral campus has been home to a Montessori School for Salina since 2009. This Christian early childhood curriculum lends itself to the Cathedral’s commitment being a place of learning for young people and a resource in the downtown of Salina.
Today, Christ Cathedral Montessori School fills the Cathedral grounds with laughter and learning and joy all year with summer camps and school year programs. They also worship every week in the Sanctuary.
In recent years, the Cathedral has committed to using its historic building and grounds in support of the vitality of downtown Salina. The Cathedral enthusiastically supports the lively arts by providing a venue for performances and recitals. The Cathedral Arts Program invites local artists to display their work either in individual “small shows” or as part of larger group exhibits during Lent.
Until the pandemic shut down, the Cathedral kitchen distributed meals to their neighbors 5 days a week year-round, and now continue that tradition as the “host” congregation behind The Welcome Table at the new Salina Grace Resource Center.
From the laying of its cornerstone over 120 years ago, to today, Christ Cathedral has been a beacon of kindness, mercy, and hope in downtown Salina. We look forward to the next 120 years of being “the church in the heart of the city, with a heart for the city.”
Information found in this article is Courtesy of the Smoky Hill Museum, Christ Cathedral, and David Sachs, "Christ Cathedral", [Salina, Kansas], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/KS-01-169-0083.