Parish History

On St. Patrick's Day, 1938, the ground was broken for a new church in Charlotte. The John Henry Phelan family of Beaumont, Texas donated the funds to build the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in loving memory of his parents, Patrick and Margaret Adele Phelan.  Frank Frimmer, an Austrian native known for remodeling famous Old World churches, designed and supervised construction of the church, with its gray stucco face, 400-seat nave, balcony and 77-foot tall tower. 

The high altar of Carrara marble contained relics of St. Jucundius and St. Justina, and two side chapels were crafted as shrines honoring Mary and Joseph. Stained glass windows above the altar, designed in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1939, depicted the Annunciation, Saint Patrick and the deathbed scene of St. Joseph with the Blessed Mother and Jesus at his side. Additional stain glass windows line the interior of the Cathedral and depict: the Nativity; the Presentation at the Temple; the Finding of Jesus in the Temple; Jesus blessing the children; Jesus with the rich young man; Jesus healing the blind; Jesus and Mary Magdalene; the Agony in the Garden; the Crucifixion and the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. In the choir loft, a stain glass window depicting King David with his lyre and St. Cecelia, the patron saint of musicians, flanks a magnificent rose window.

On Sept. 4, 1939, Bishop Eugene J. McGuinness of Raleigh consecrated the church under the patronage of Saint Patrick. Bishop McGuinness’ Episcopal motto, Omnia Omnibus, translated as “all things to all people”, appears over the front doors.  The Cathedral became the first church in North Carolina to be consecrated immediately upon completion and in 1942 became a parish with Msgr. Arthur R. Freeman as pastor. The first resident pastor was the Reverend Monsignor Arthur R. Freeman, Vicar General of the Diocese of Raleigh, who arrived on February 1, 1942. His successors include:

• The Right Reverend Monsignor John P. Manly (1948-1963)
• The Reverend D. Edward Sullivan (1963-1966)
• The Reverend Francis J. Tait (1966-1968)
• The Reverend Monsignor Richard F. Allen (1968-1977)
• The Reverend Joseph A. Kerin (1977-1980)
• The Reverend Thomas P. Burke (1980-1988)
• The Reverend Francis J. O'Rourke (1988-1996)
• The Reverend Paul Q. Gary (1996- 2008) 
• The Reverend Christopher A. Roux (2008 - present)

On January 12, 1972 His Holiness Pope Paul VI erected the Diocese of Charlotte. The new diocese of forty-six counties in Western North Carolina was entrusted to the care of the Most Reverend Michael J. Begley. On the same date, St. Patricks Church became The Cathedral of Saint Patrick. Today, The Cathedral of Saint Patrick is home to over 1,300 registered parishioners who live all over Mecklenburg County and are drawn to the Cathedral for the reverent liturgy and the vibrancy of the parish communion.

Cathedral Renovations

On January 3, 1979, the cathedral was closed for major repairs and renovation to accommodate the changes brought about by Vatican II. Every Catholic parish contributed funds to support the Cathedral’s renovations.  Major changes included a new marble altar to allow the priest to offer the Mass facing the congregation and the replacement of the large Moller pipe organ with a beautiful new pipe organ constructed by Zimmer and Sons of Charlotte. Inside the Cathedral, new designs were added to the ceiling. Over the nave, a blue and silver ceiling depicts crowns with a cross along with wheat and grapes, symbols for the Eucharistic. The design comes from the Diocesan Coat of Arms and serves as a reminder of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg whom the city of Charlotte was named after. The cross and crown was used by Queen Charlotte as her heraldic symbol. 

In 1994, the Cathedral underwent another renovation project which was completed by Palm Sunday, 1996 under the direction of Father Francis J. O'Rourke. The project's primary emphasis was to restore the Cathedral to the original 1939 condition. Changes included giving the beautiful Italian marble altar, baptismal font, statues and ambo new prominence. A beautiful hardwood floor and rich purple carpeting was installed in addition to the removal of the dark oak wainscoting from the 1979 renovation. A permanent copper roof and Stations of the Cross were installed. A new Celtic cross and landscaping enhance the exterior beauty of the Cathedral in the historic Dilworth neighborhood. Since 1994, other improvements and building projects have been completed at the Cathedral including the installation of a 700 pound bell in the bell tower and the complexion of a Family Life Center. Today, the campus consists of the Cathedral, rectory, family life center and parish office.