Country United States Founded 1850 Capacity 1,200 Phone +1 802-658-4333 | Denomination Roman Catholic Dedication Saint Joseph Architectural style Neoclassical architecture | |
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Location 29 Allen St.
Burlington, Vermont Website www.stjosephvermont.com Address 20 Allen St, Burlington, VT 05401, USA Diocese Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington Similar Cathedral of the Immacula, Saint Monica's Church - B, St Francis Xavier Church, Saint Augustine Church, St Thomas Church | ||
The Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Located in Burlington, Vermont, it serves the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Burlington. The mother church is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Burlington.
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History
The original St. Joseph's church was the first French Canadian parish in the United States, founded in 1850. The cathedral was constructed to serve the growing French-speaking Canadian population that had immigrated to the North End of Burlington during the mid 19th century.
The building was designed in 1883 by Fr. Joseph Michaud who was a self-taught architect hailing from Montreal. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1884. The church was dedicated on St. Jean The Baptist Day (Fête de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste) on June 24, 1887, and blessed by the Archbishop of Montreal, Édouard-Charles Fabre.
The church seating capacity was designed to accommodate over 1200 worshipers.
Because of low attendance and finances, the two Burlington Catholic cathedrals are in the process of merging. Sunday Masses will be celebrated at St.Joseph, while Immaculate Conception will have a weekday Mass at Noon and a monthly Mass in Vietnamese. Parishioners can also request to have their baptisms, weddings and funerals held there.
Renovations
A number of renovations have taken place on the cathedral over the years, during 1920, 1968, and 2000–01.
On November 27, 2000, several contractors began renovations on the cathedral.
Sometime between 2011 and 2012, the steeple spire was removed after a windstorm had damaged it. Repair crews had found that the steeple had undergone severe deterioration and it was subsequently determined that the 800 lb (360 kg) wrought-iron cross atop the artifice was at risk of toppling. The cross was placed into storage, while the lower sections of the steeple (e.g. the belfry) required renovations costing about $200,000. The steeple was not restored to its original height due to the estimated expense of $1 million, which the church could not afford.