St Mary's Cathedral - Roman Catholic Churches on Waymarking.com

The twin spires of St. Mary's Cathedral, 607 NE Madison Ave., tower 137 feet above the North Valley. The magnificent church was constructed in 1889 and dedicated by the first bishop of Peoria, John Lancaster Spalding. It has a seating capacity of 1,500.
In Its 120 years, It has hosted visitors from all over the world, said Chris Kreps, vice chancellor. The famed Von Trapp family sang at the cathedral in one of their first American performances after escaping Austria during World War II. Mother Teresa visited the cathedral twice, most recently in 1993, prior to her death in 1997.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen grew up in the parish and attended Spalding Academy. Sheen was ordained in 1919 and last visited the cathedral In the 1970s, Kreps said. One of the many historical features of the cathedral is the 1937 Wicks pipe organ. Kreps said his favorite feature of the cathedral, "besides Jesus," is the relic chapel, which has a wide variety of religiously significant Items, ranging from two tiny splinters, believed to have come from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified, to pieces of fabric from the clothing of the recently canonized Mother Theodore Guerin of Indiana. Current leaders at the cathedral are Bishop Daniel Jenky and rector, Monsignor Paul Showalter.
The description above is from an article that appeared in the Peoria Journal Star Christmas 2009.

Type of Church: Cathedral Status of Building: Actively in use for worship Date of organization: 05/01/1877 Archdiocese: Peoria Diocese: Peoria Address/Location: 607 NE Madison Avenue Peoria, IL USA 61603 Relvant Web Site: [Web Link] Date of building construction: Not listed Dominant Architectural Style: Not listed Associated Shrines, Art, etc.: Not listed

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