St. Fidelis Catholic Church - Victoria, Kansas
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 38° 51.390 W 099° 09.056
14S E 486904 N 4300863
Towering above the plains, St. Fidelis Catholic Church, also known as the Cathedral of the Plains is located in Victoria, Kansas.
Waymark Code: WM1ZPN
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 08/10/2007
Views: 163
Construction
of St. Fidelis Catholic Church was begun in 1908 based on a plan originally by
one nation's foremost church architects, John T. Comes of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania and slightly modified by architect John Marshall of Topeka. The
exterior of the church was constructed of native limestone from a quarry seven
miles south of Victoria. The church is in a Romanesque style and is 220' long,
110' wide at the transcepts and 75' at the nave. Its ceiling is 44' above the
ground and the twin towers rise 141'. The church has a seating capacity of 1,100
and at the time of dedication in 1911 it was the largest church west of the
Mississippi River. The church has been maintained over the years with a major
renovation in 1994. The church is visited by about 15,000 tourists each year.
Though referred to as the Cathedral of the Plains, St. Fidelis is not a true
cathedral as it is not a bishop's church.