Church Architecture

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Cleveland, Ohio)
Artist: Patrick Keely (1852), Stickle and Associates (1946–48)
1847 Architecture

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The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (known locally as St. John's Cathedral) is a historic Roman Catholic church building in Cleveland, Ohio. Completed and consecrated in 1852, it is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Numerous renovations have enlarged and changed some aspects of the cathedral, but it remains essentially the same since its construction.

Cathedral of St. Joseph
Artist: Patrick Keely; Eggers & Higgins
1877 - -1892 then 1958 - - 62 Architecture

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The Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut, United States, is the mother church and seat of the Archdiocese of Hartford. Dedicated on May 15, 1962, it stands on the site of the old cathedral which had been destroyed in a fire

Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula
11th Century - 16th Century Architecture

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The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is usually shortened to the Cathedral of St. Gudula or St. Gudula by locals, is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral in central Brussels, Belgium. It is dedicated to Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, the patron saints of the City of Brussels.

Saint Gudula spent her time in good works and religious devotion. She was known for her vast charity for the poor, her frequent visits to church and for living a holy life.

Saint Michael is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baha'i faith. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second-century-BC Jewish works where he is the chief of the angels and archangels, and he is the guardian prince of Israel and is responsible for the care of Israel. Christianity conserved nearly all the Jewish traditions concerning him, and he is mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7–12, where he does battle with Satan, and in the Epistle of Jude, where the author denounces heretics by contrasting them with Michael.

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When we think of Christian architecture, we may picture towering cathedrals with intricate stained-glass windows, but the roots of this style are much more humble. The earliest Christian structures were not grand, but rather simple house churches. As Christianity grew, its places of worship grew in size and intricacy.

The transition from early Christian to medieval architecture paralelled societal and religious changes. The Romanesque style, characterized by its rounded arches and massive walls, was followed by the Gothic style with its pointed archs, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses.

Christian architecture has created some of the world’s most iconic structures. These buildings all share a common thread: they are physical manifestations of the Christian faith.

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