Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (Altoona, Pennsylvania)

The cathedral's main feature is its dome that rises to a height of 198 feet (60 m).[1] It reflects an academic interpretation of Italy's early Renaissance cathedrals.[7] The dome incorporates elements from those on St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Florence Cathedral.[6] It features 24 windows: eight round windows are located at the base, eight dormer windows are on the second tier, and eight eyebrow windows near the top.[5] There is also a skylight at the pinnacle of the dome. Given its location on the peak of Gospel Hill, the cathedral is a visual landmark for the city of Altoona.[8]

Forty-eight stone steps rise in sections along a broad terrace from the street to the main entrance. A Latin phrase is etched onto the stone wall along the staircase: Ecce tabernaculum Dei cum hominibus (Behold the dwelling place of God with men).[1] The main facade features an entrance portico with six Ionic columns in antis. The pedimented portion above it is similar to that of Santa Maria Novella in Florence.[6] The steel and reinforced concrete construction is covered with a veneer of Indiana limestone laid in courses of smooth-faced ashlar.[5]

The main doors into the cathedral are etched glass produced by Baut Studios of Pittsburgh, and they were installed when Monsignor Thomas Madden was pastor/rector (1972-1987). The two center doors portray Jesus at the Last Supper. On the right door he holds the bread and on the other door he holds the cup, that become his body and blood. They are flanked with doors that are etched with the traditional symbols of the four Evangelists: Matthew (angel), Luke (ox), Mark (lion), and John (eagle). On either side of the main facade are statues of two American saints. Saint John Neumann (1811-1860), an immigrant, Bishop of Philadelphia, and the first American male saint is on the left. On the right is Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821), an educator who became the first American-born saint.

The cathedral interior

While the exterior follows a more historical vocabulary, the interior is more modern.[6] It was designed by Alfred Reid of Pittsburgh. The baptismal font is placed at the entrance of the cathedral, serving to bring parishioners into the Church metaphorically. The nave is divided into three sections by six large piers. Along the base of the vault of the nave are images of six holy men and women, each of whom has a special connection to the Blessed Sacrament: Saint Tarsicius, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Paschal Baylon, Blessed Juliana of Mount Cornillon, Saint Clare of Assisi, and Blessed Imelda Lambertini.

The dome is located over the crossing. From the floor to the eye of the dome is 152 feet (46 m).[1] At its base is written Hoc est enim Corpus Meum. Hic est enim Calix Sanguinis Mei. Mysterium Fidei. (This is My Body. This is the Cup of My Blood. The Mystery of Faith.) Along the base of the dome and the sanctuary are also several symbols of the Eucharist: wheat, grapes, wine, loaves of bread, a fish, a monstrance, a chalice and host, and a pelican. Below the dome on the pendentives are medallions of the four Evangelists.

The altar is the central element in the cathedral. It is around the altar that the faithful gather to celebrate Eucharist. It is 12 feet (3.7 m) long, a number which is significant in its association with the number of the Apostles and the tribes of Israel. Above the altar hangs a golden tester.

The cathedra

The word cathedral is derived from a Latin word, cathedra, meaning "chair". In early Christian literature, it always conveyed the idea of authority. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, then, is not important simply because it is the largest and the most beautiful church in the diocese, but because of its character as the "cathedra" or "seat" of the bishop.

There are seven sanctuary stained glass windows that consist of The Annunciation, The Nativity, The Last Supper, The Crucifixion, The Resurrection, The Ascension, and The Crowning of Mary. The windows in the cathedral created since 1986 were produced by Hunt Studios in Pittsburgh.[6]

Directly below the altar in the basement, a chapel mausoleum named "the crypt chapel" was erected for the entombment of bishops for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. Currently, six bishops and two rectors of the cathedral are entombed in the crypt chapel, with coat of arms erected on the crypt door: Eugene A. Garvey, John J. McCort, Richard T. Guilfoyle, Howard J. Carroll, J. Carroll McCormick and James J. Hogan. Recent rectors Thomas E. Madden and Paul Panza are also entombed in the chapel.