Today we look at the second in our series on some of the churches in Cleveland with the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, located in downtown Cleveland. Cleveland’s first Catholic bishop, Bishop Amadeus Rappe, hired architect, Patrick Charles Keeley to design the cathedral. Construction began in 1848. It was built in the Gothic revival style and completed in 1852.
In 1927, the relics of St. Christine, a young girl who died for her faith around the year 300, were received from Rome and housed in the cathedral’s crypt, along with the remains of former Cleveland bishops. In the 1940’s the cathedral was enlarged and rebuilt and consecrated on September 4, 1948.
The cathedral is an active part of downtown Cleveland with daily masses. You can hear its’ bells ringing on a regular basis. The offices Catholic Diocese of Cleveland sit behind the cathedral. It is located at 1007 Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland.