Some details of the dedication of Wichita's Mother Church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, (also known as St. Mary's Cathedral), on 18 Sep 1912, as printed in the Emporia Weekly Gazette: (
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"Emporia Weekly Gazette September 19, 1912, page 8
DEDICATION AT WICHITA
Wichita- Kan., Sept. 18.—Dignitaries from all parts of the United States were here today to attend the dedication of St. Mary's Cathedral, said to be the most magnificent church edifice in the Southwest. At the head of the list was His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons, primate of the Catholic Church in America. The ceremonies opening the cathedral which, exclusive of furnishings, cost $220,000 to build, will extend over two days.
Cardinal Gibbons, accompanied by a number of archbishops, arrived here on a special train, and was conducted immediately to the residence of Bishop Hennessy, where the party was tendered a reception at 8:30 o'clock. The dedication service began at 9 o'clock. Cardinal Gibbons was the officiating prelate. Bishop John J. Hennessy acted as celebrant of the mass, and Archbishop John J. Clennon was the orator of the occasion. After the service, luncheon was served to the visiting clergy at the Wichita Commercial Club.
At 2:30 this afternoon a parade, headed by a uniformed body of Knights of Columbus, was scheduled to pass in review before Cardinal Gibbons, occupying a reviewing stand In front of the Cathedral. For tonight, a lecture by Archbishop Ireland, of St. Paul, was scheduled.
The church edifice is practically complete. In addition to the cost of the building, the marble altar. The pipe organ and the pews were installed at an approximate cost of $22.500 by members of the church. The Catholics of Wichita gave half of the cathedral while the churches of the diocese contributed the balance.
The building stands in one of the most beautiful residence districts of the city. It is constructed of Bedford stone, 169 feet long and 100 feet wide at the transepts. From the floor to the top of the little dome is 135 feet. It is in the Romanesque-Renaissance style." [end]