Issue Preview ~ Winter 2002

Anniversary brings new beginning

New Catholic cathedral dedicated in Dodge City

By Tim Wenzl

The Catholic Diocese of Dodge City celebrated its 50th anniversary together with the dedication of its new cathedral, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, on December 9.

The Most Reverend Gabriel Montalvo, the Vatican ambassador to the United States, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles and more than 20 other bishops joined Dodge City's bishop, the Most Reverend Ronald M. Gilmore, for the dedication. It was the first Catholic cathedral to be dedicated in the United States in this millennium.

Dodge City is the See City of a Church jurisdiction that includes 28 counties in southwest Kansas. The Diocese of Dodge City was established after the Wichita diocese was divided into a more manageable territory in 1951.

On the day of the dedication, the two parishes in Dodge City became one. The merging of the parishes was an idea that surfaced during the diocesan restructuring process in the late 1990s. Sacred Heart Cathedral at 903 Central Ave. and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 805 Ave. J had become overcrowded.

Ten Masses were celebrated each weekend in Dodge City. Now, with a sanctuary that seats more than 1,400, the number of Masses has been reduced to five.

For the full story on the new cathedral, pick up a copy of the Winter 2002 issue. Click here to find a copy.