The St. James Catholic Cathedral of the Orlando Diocese

The St. James Cathedral of the Orlando Diocese is located just outside of the beautiful Lake Eola, and shares in the beauty of its environment. The Cathedral offers mass throughout the week, held in both English and Spanish on Sundays, as well as Reconciliation Monday through Saturday at varying times. The mass is held by Bishop John Noonan, who was appointed as the Bishop of the Orlando Diocese in October of 2010, and had his installation ceremony December of the same year. The Cathedral offers several sacraments, including baptism, confirmation, and marriage, as well as education in the faith or general curriculum.

The St. James Catholic Cathedral traces its history through two structures, as well as two Catholic Diocese. The parish was established on May 20, 1881 by Bishop John Moore, who at the time was a member of the Diocese of St. Augustine. The Diocese had originally covered the entirety of Florida, which would later be split into both the Diocese of St. Augustine and the Diocese of Orlando. Bishop Moore had originally purchased the land in which the St. James Parish was established, and construction began in 1887 and was completed in 1891. In 1951, the structure we see as the St. James Cathedral was completed to accommodate the ever-increasing population of the Orlando area, and as mentioned previously in 1968, the Diocese of Orlando was established. Originally, the St. James Parish was not chosen to be the Cathedral of the Diocese of Orlando, but in 1976 a fire had greatly damaged the St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral and by recommendation of Bishop Thomas Grady, Pope Paul VI had the Cathedral transferred to St. James Parish, in which the status change was completed the following year. In 2010, after many renovations and additions to the Catedral building, the newly renovated structure was once again dedicated.

History. www.orlandodiocese.org/our-diocese/history.

The article posted on the official Diocese of Orlando website gives a detailed history in the form of a primary source, detailing the long history of the diocese from its creation in 1968, as well as the events that lead to its establishment, the key members of the Diocese, and the accomplishments of the Diocese and its members since its founding. The history of the Diocese and its members are important to the history of the St James Catholic Cathedral as the church itself became a cathedral in 1977 only after the establishment of the Diocese of Orlando. The history of the Diocese and that of the cathedral are tied together and work hand in hand ever since John Moore first purchased the land to build the St James Church. The history page also gives a short biography to Bishop Thomas Grady who petitioned to Pope Paul VI to have St James become the new cathedral of the Diocese of Orlando after a fire had damaged St Charles Borromeo Cathedral.

Timeline: Moments in the History of St. James. stjamesorlando.org/timeline-moments-in-the-history-of-st-james.

The timeline posted by the St. James Catholic Cathedral on their main website details the key points in history of the church, including the dates of when Bishop John Moore first acquired land and built the St. James Church, the dates in which both the Diocese of Orlando and the Diocese of St. Petersburg were separated, and the events that led to the petition and establishment of St. James Catholic Church became the cathedral of the Diocese of Orlando. The timeline itself acts as a detailed primary source that can be used to track the key events of the church through its 137 year history, with the timeline ending in the year 2011, which marked the celebration of the 125 year history of the church.

York, Catholic Editing Company New. The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. V. 1-3 ... New York : The Catholic editing Company, 1914.

While the entire book of The Catholic Church in the United States of America holds the history of many churches and Diocese, a very detailed history of John Moore, the Bishop who established the St. James Church, as well as a detailed history of those who came after him and participated in the St. James Church can be found between pages 249 and 251, with even more rich history extending 20 plus pages. The book discusses the history of John Moore and his establishment of his church in the Orlando area in 1877, and it explains the detailed history between the establishment of the church and the clergy members who came after John Moore to continue the work of the Bishop. While the history of the church is discussed in less detail than John Moore’s life, it is important to learn the history and decisions of the Bishops who helped build and raise the church of St. James as its influence would spread throughout the Central Florida area, raising more churches and calling for the need of two new Diocese being established. The church of St. James acted as the cornerstone for the influence of Catholicism throughout all of Central Florida, and it was only possible due to the man John Moore was.

“Historic Preservation Districts.” City of Orlando, 2023, www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/History/Historic-Preservation-Districts#section-5. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

This post made by the Orlando City Hall lists off many of the city's historical districts, including the Lake Eola Heights Historic District, which includes the land in which the St. James Cathedral resides. While the post does not go into great detail about the Cathedral itself, it does give the history of the surrounding area and how Orlando developed around the Cathedral. The post also mentions other religious institutions that are in same area, including the school that was developed by the parish.

Wicks Organs. “Wicks Organs | Wicks Organs.” Wicks Organs | Hand Crafting Music One Instrument at a Time., 14 May 2020, wicksorgan.com.

While this source may seem out of place in relation to the church, the Wicks Organ company is the group that took up the St. James Cathedral organ and repaired and refurbished the instrument during the renovations that occurred. While obscure, I think it is important to recognize the many smaller organizations that had gone into the creation and the upkeep of the St. James Cathedral, making it what we can see an appreciate to this day.