Country United States Website www.stacathedral.com Consecrated 1908 Phone +1 775-329-2571 Dedication Thomas Aquinas | Denomination Roman Catholic Church Founded 1907 Opened 1908 Architectural style Neoclassical architecture Groundbreaking 1906 | |
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Location 310 W. 2nd St.
Reno, Nevada Address 310 W 2nd St, Reno, NV 89503, USA Diocese Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno Similar First United Methodist Church, Immaculate Conception Church, WINGFIELD PARK, Sands Regency, Pioneer Center for the Perfor | ||
Saint Thomas Aquinas Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno, Nevada, United States. It is located at 310 W. 2nd Street in Reno. The cathedral was built in 1908 as the rise in Reno's Catholic population warranted a larger church. The cathedral was nearly destroyed by a fire in 1909 and was restored the following year. The Cathedral is staffed by Conventual Franciscans: Order of the Friars, Minor.
History
On May 21, 1906, Catholic officials purchased the Sol Levy home at the corner of Second and Chestnut (now Arlington) streets in Reno for $10,000 to be the site of St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in June 1906 and the cathedral was dedicated June 21, 1908. A fire on December 21, 1909, caused major damage, including collapse of the ceiling, but it was salvaged and reopened in 1910. A renovation conducted in the 1950s added a wraparound mural that surrounds the altar. In 2010, an expansive retrofit was conducted to stabilize the foundation of the church.
The mural painting which adorns the sanctuary is considered to be one of the finest works of art of its kind in America. The mural was painted by Edith and Isabel Piczek, with the theme being the "Adoration of the Lamb of God, our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist." In the mural, the Saints of the Old Law, to the left, include Abel, Moses, Ruth, Abraham and Isaac, all in the presence of the Manna. Melchisedech, David, Nathan, Malachias, Anna the Prophetess and John the Baptist are also seen to the left of the Lamb of God. The saints of the New Law include Peter and John, with Paul in background. Augustine of Hippo, Clare of Assisi, Charles Borromeo, Paschal Baylon and Pope Pius X, who urges a modern working family to take the sacrament of communion.