Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe

In 1869, the Bishop of Galveston established the first Catholic parish in Dallas, Sacred Heart Church.  The first building in Dallas was constructed at Bryan and Ervay Streets.  By 1890, the church was outgrowing their building and they purchased the current property at Ross and Pearl.  The current cathedral's cornerstone was laid in 1898 and the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was dedicated in 1902.  For many years, the architect was unknown, but in 1989, a discovery of the original drawings by Nicholas J. Clayton were made in a Galveston library.  This is the last surviving work of Clayton's in the city. Clayton was one of the premier Victorian Architects in Galveston.  However, the building was not completed in 1902.  Due to a lack of funds, the 219 ft. bell tower was not constructed with the original building. In 1975, this parish merged with a neighboring parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe.  At that time the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was renamed Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe, which means Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  This Neo-Gothic Cathedral was constructed out of red brick and limestone trim and base, giving it some Romanesque Revival characteristics.  The cathedral features many beautiful stained glass windows and a wonderfully preserved interior.  At the time  the cathedral was constructed, it was in the middle of a thriving residential community.  Now the cathedral is situated on the edge of the Dallas Arts District and is surrounded by new office development.  As the church entered its second century, a decision was made to complete the building and build the bell tower.  That work was completed in 2005.