Salford Cathedral

The cathedral dedicated to St. John the Evangelist of Salford ( Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist) in Salford in the county Greater Manchester in North West England, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford. It is located not far from the center of the city of Manchester in the Chapel Street. The cathedral was built in the Gothic Revival style and is a listed building.

History and Architecture

The cathedral was built in 1844-1848 by Benjamin Hollins after designs by Matthew Ellison Hard Field ( 1812-1885 ). St. John's was the first cross-shaped built Catholic Church in England after the Reformation. The design was based on a series of medieval churches in Europe. The Western Front is a copy of Howden Minster in Howden, a city in the northeast of England. Choir and chancel were the Selby Abbey modeled in the town of Selby, North Yorkshire, the decorations of the roof go to the Eglise St. Jacques ( St. James Church) in Liege, Belgium, back and the tower and spire are of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Newark, Nottinghamshire, is derived.

Two local businessmen, Daniel Lee ( † 1858) and John Leeming († 1877), each donated £ 1000 for the construction and equipping of the church. At both benefactor is remembered in the choir area. The east window of the cathedral were created in 1856 by William Wailes of Newcastle and describe the history of Catholic Christianity in England, of the conversion of Ethelbert by St. Augustine in the year 597 until the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in 1850. The total cost for the construction of cathedral amounted to £ 18,000.

The foundation stone was laid in 1844 by Bishop James Sharples. The cathedral was consecrated on August 9, 1848 by Bishop George Brown in the presence of other bishops from the apostolic vicariates of England and Wales. St. John's was raised in 1850 to the status of a cathedral. On July 25, 1851 William Turner was ordained the first Bishop of Salford.

In October 1881 a severe storm substantial damage taught at the 240 foot ( 72 meter ) high tower of which was the tallest tower in Lancashire at that time.

In 1924 a chapel in memory of the fallen soldiers was opened in the First World War in the north transept. After the Second World War, various repairs were necessary and in the years 1971 and 1972 had to be carried out a restoration. In this case, a free-standing altar was erected, which is located below the crossing, as it was prescribed by the Second Vatican Council. A further reorganization of the choir with the removal of the high altar and the altarpiece was held in 1988. 1990 new windows were installed on the Western Front. A restoration of the exterior masonry of the tower and on the Western Front was held in spring 2007.

In 2004 a digital organ in the cathedral was erected. It replaces a two-manual pipe organ, which was built in 1951 by the organ building firm Jardine.