A guided ‘walking’ tour of Corpus Christi Cathedral

After 75 years, the Holy Trinity still welcomes the faithful to Corpus Christi Cathedral and invites them in to receive the Eucharist. Named after the Body of Christ, the Eucharist is a dominant theme in the Cathedral’s architectural theme.

Writing to the faithful on Dec. 17, 1939, Bishop Emmanuel Ledvina said of the Cathedral, “The interior of the building will offer a study of the beauties of our Church in the dim religious light, the outlines of symmetry, harmony and regularity. All that the eye will behold will be a silent, but powerful speech that will pierce the heart.

“They will tell of things divine; they will teach things of heaven, of God’s unity, of his Divinity, of the Trinity, of the Three in One, of the Incarnation, of the union of God and man in Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Sacrament and the other Sacraments; of Mary Immaculate, of the life of the Savior, of his works and miracles: of the dying Son of God, of his resurrection, of his ascension in to heaven; of Gospel scenes and incidents. Mute eloquence will meet the eye wherever it casts a glance.”

People who regularly attend Mass at the Cathedral perhaps have gotten used to the surroundings and no longer notice all the beauty around them. People who occasionally attend Mass at the Cathedral may have wondered about the meaning of all the beautiful artwork. People who have never been to the Cathedral have no idea what they are missing.

This article, and subsequent articles in future issues, will serve as a “walking” tour of the Cathedral. Clearly, the reader will not be walking through the Cathedral but let your imagination do the walking. When you next visit the Cathedral bring this article along and go ahead and make it a real walking tour.

The tour—any tour—starts on the outside.

As you approach the front entrance of Corpus Christi Cathedral on Upper Broadway, visitors will first notice the Spanish Colonial Revival style used in the construction. “Glazed terra cotta roofed domes, rosette wrought iron grill work, spiral turned stone columns, copper doors, stone urns on dome bases and turned stones finials, red clay tile roof, and open bell towers catch the eye.”

Two bell towers shoot up into the heavens. The taller of the two has a 32-bell-carillon, and a clock on each of its four walls. The shorter tower houses three bells, which originally hung at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. On the front wall, overlooking the city’s downtown, are the episcopal crests of Bishop Ledvina and Coadjutor Bishop Mariano Garriga, who directed the design and construction of the Cathedral. Looking further up, to the top center of the front wall, the visitor can see a chalice and a host, representative of the Eucharistic theme found throughout the Cathedral.

People can enter the Cathedral through one of three doors, representing the Holy Trinity. Above the doors are three windows, also symbolic of the Holy Trinity.

The inside of the Cathedral is designed in what typically is called a “basilica,” from the Greek “basileus” meaning “king.” The Cathedral is the Lord’s dwelling and the description of it as a basilica is appropriate.

As one enters the narthex, the anteroom before entering the Cathedral, they will first notice walls of polished grey granite. Saltillo tile covers the floor and the ceiling is covered with plaster Greek moldings.

Statues of St. Anthony of Padua and the Sorrowful Mother, carved from Italian Carrera marble, are found on either side of the narthex. St. Anthony is the patron saint of the Archdiocese of San Antonio to which the Diocese of Corpus Christi belonged at the time. The Virgin Mary is holding her crucified son. This statute of the Blessed Mother was the focus of many novenas prayed for local men who lost their lives during World War II when the Cathedral was built. A bronze bust of Bishop Ledvina is featured off the center door opening into the nave.

As in the entrance to the narthex, three doors provide access to the nave. The window located on the middle door leading into the nave has the crest of the diocese, three ciboria, which also represent the coat of arms for the diocese. The other two have depictions of wheat and grapes signifying the bread and blood of Christ. The stained glass over the central exterior door depicts the Blessed Sacrament with two thuribles of incense.

After relishing the beauty and meaning of the elements in the Narthex, the visitor is ready to continue to be amazed by the magnificence and significance of what awaits them inside the nave.

(Editor’s note: In subsequent issues we will lead our readers into the Cathedral and see and learn about the many marvels inside.)