In October 1923, Pope Pius XI designated St. Mary’s Church in Springfield as the cathedral, thus transferring the Episcopal See from Alton to Springfield. Unfortunately, the “new” cathedral, which was built in 1859, was antiquated and many felt it was unfit to serve as the mother church for the diocese. The newly installed bishop, James A. Griffin, wanted to build a new cathedral to coincide with the diocese’s Diamond Jubilee in 1928. His goal was to create a magnificent cathedral that was “worthy of our Catholic faith.” He wrote, “Let us go up now to our Episcopal City and there build the head fortress of our Diocese, the Mother Church of all our churches and people, a Memorial to our Immaculate Mother, a testimonial to the pioneer priests and laity of our Diocese, a Home worthy of our Eucharistic King.”

Shortly after his installation, Bishop Griffin turned his attention towards the construction of the new Cathedral. In 1925, he travelled to Europe to examine various architectural styles and shortly after his return, he commissioned his childhood friend, Joseph W. McCarthy, to draw a set of plans for the cathedral complex. McCarthy informed Bishop Griffin that the site of the present Cathedral, located on the corner of Seventh and Monroe streets, was too small to accommodate the proposed buildings and he urged the bishop to find a new location. Bishop Griffin purchased the site where the Cathedral now stands in the fall of 1926. With the plans and location secured, it was time to raise money to build the cathedral complex.

Bishop Griffin organized the Diamond Jubilee Cathedral Fund to raise the $750,000 needed to build the new Cathedral. On January 11, 1927, the Executive Committee met to finalize plans for the drive. Two days later priests of the diocese, accompanied by two lay delegates from each parish, met at the Knights of Columbus auditorium in Springfield to hear the details of the campaign. Attendance was nearly 100 percent despite a blizzard and it was reported that one priest appeared in hip boots to make his way through the drifts. Bishop Griffin said the “pep and resolve” the priests brought to the meeting would send the campaign “over the top with banners flying.”

At the meeting, Bishop Griffin revealed a highly organized system to raise money for the Cathedral. Each parish was designated as a “unit” with the priest and two lay persons serving as the parish committee. Each of the 171 units reported to one of eight executives in charge of each deanery. The deanery chiefs reported directly to the campaign headquarters at 801 South Sixth Street in Springfield. With the plan in place, Bishop Griffin was ready to start the campaign.

The campaign officially opened on February 14, 1927 with the slogan, “It is God’s work. God wills it.” To kick off the fund-raising, Bishop Griffin donated $10,000, all the money he possessed, provided that the sum was matched by one or more contributors. The campaign utilized 3,500 workers, who canvassed the field soliciting donations, often with great success. The support for the campaign was evident, because within two days the campaign had raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars. The Western Catholic reported on the success of fund raising efforts and acknowledged those parishes who were leading the effort. St. Joseph in Springfield was the first parish to reach $30,000 and St. Rose in Quincy was the first parish outside of Springfield to raise $10,000. The newspaper reported that Kincaid opened its campaign and that by 4 o’clock that same afternoon the parish was $600 over its quota.

The campaign ended on February 26, having raised almost $1 million in less than two weeks. This is all the more incredible when one considers that the average annual wage in 1927 was $1,358. An editorial in the Illinois State Journal provided a nice summary of the campaign: “The enthusiasm with which Catholics of this Diocese have rallied to the support of their faith and given their pledges to their Bishop’s plan for development has afforded a spectacle of religious fervor and devotion not often witnessed in these times. Money literally has poured into the Cathedral Fund, evidencing the faith of the givers as no other outward demonstration could.”

Dedication

Bishop James A. Griffin wanted the Cathedral dedication to be the highlight of the diocese’s Diamond Jubilee celebration, which was planned for October 1928. That left 18 months to build and decorate the four buildings that comprised the cathedral complex. On May 21, 1927, Bishop Griffin announced that the Math. Rouen Company of Chicago had been contracted to build the Cathedral. With little time to spare, construction began two days later.

In early February 1928, Bishop Griffin wrote to an acquaintance that the work on the Cathedral was behind schedule, but that he was hopeful it would be completed by October. He wrote that he was watching men put on the copper roof from his office, which was a block away. He also mentioned that the heat was scheduled to be turned on the following week to allow for work on the interior to continue despite the cold. Despite his concerns, the construction crew and artists were able to complete the Cathedral in time for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

On October 14, 1928 the dedication ceremony began with a farewell Mass at the old cathedral. After the Mass, people gathered outside the old cathedral for a procession, which wound its way along Jefferson to Sixth Street toward the new Cathedral. A variety of Catholic societies and organizations participated in the parade, including the Knights of Columbus, Dominican convent girls, St. John’s hospital nurses, Boy Scouts from Quincy and the Quincy College band. Priests of the diocese and visiting dignitaries joined the procession as it progressed along the route. As the end of the procession reached the Cathedral, the bell tower chimes played Adeste Fidelis as flowers were dropped from an airplane flying overhead.

Eleven hundred people processed into the Cathedral, including nuns of various orders, 200 diocesan priests, lay persons, visiting bishops and other dignitaries. Cardinal George Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago, entered the Cathedral accompanied by architect Joseph W. McCarthy. Once the cardinal was seated on the cathedra, Bishop Griffin entered, accompanied by several priests. Following him, was Archbishop J.J. Glennon of St. Louis, who gave the dedication homily in which he paid tribute to Bishop Griffin for his untiring work in making the Cathedral a reality. He also spoke of the Catholic Church’s history and pleaded for better understanding of its mission. The Mass lasted for almost two hours and afterward, priests and visiting dignitaries attended a banquet at the Knights of Columbus building, where they dined on guinea hen and Virginia ham.

It is estimated that 20,000 people attended the dedication. Altars were set up on the lawn and visiting bishops said field Masses for those who were not able to attend the ceremony inside the building. The liturgy was also broadcast to those standing outside with the aid of loudspeakers that had been attached to the exterior of the building. The Mass and dedication was broadcast on WCBS Radio from the St. Nicholas hotel for those who were unable to attend the ceremony. After the ceremony, the Cathedral was opened for those who had been unable to attend the Mass and at 7:30 that evening the Cathedral hosted a musical program that included music featuring the carillon.

The celebrations were a fitting tribute for the magnificent new Cathedral and to the men and women who donated their time and money to build it.