CATHEDRAL of the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Fort Wayne, IN
OUR HISTORY
The roots of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend began at the parish in downtown Fort Wayne that would become the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Established in 1836, this once-humble church was originally known as St. Augustine. Traveling priest Father Stephen Badin planted a seed in the fledgling, canal-built community when he urged prominent Catholic families to buy land to build their parish community.
In the early pioneer days, all of Indiana fell under the Diocese of Vincennes, and in 1840, the bishop of the diocese sent young Father Julian Benoit to pastor the people of St. Augustine. Father Benoit shepherded his people well, even escorting his Miami parishioners westward on the Trail of Tears in 1848.
When the Diocese of Fort Wayne was created on January 8, 1857, John Henry Luers was appointed bishop and moved to Fort Wayne that fall. Bishop Luers needed a new cathedral befitting the diocese’s status. As vicar general and rector of the parish, Father Benoit himself raised funds for the new structure, and the cornerstone was laid in June of 1859. Eighteen months later, the two-towered Gothic-inspired church was completed and renamed to honor the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the patroness of the diocese. It was built over a former Miami burial ground, and the grave of Chief Richardville, a prominent Catholic member of the Miami nation. The cathedral was consecrated on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1860 and he Immaculate Conception window behind the altar, crafted in Father Benoit’s home country of France, was installed the following year.
In 1848, the Cathedral Boys’s School was founded and staffed by Holy Cross brothers. By 1850, a school for German-speaking girls was established on the same block, which became known as St. Augustine Academy. Sisters of Providence came to teach the girls. In 1862, St. Augustine Academy was replaced with a larger school building and added onto in 1867 and 1883, including boarding rooms, to accommodate 400 students. By 1915, Cathedral Grade School was erected, and became coeducational the next year. It closed its doors in 1980.
The church has undergone several renovations since its construction, including the addition of a crypt where the remains of both Father Benoit and Bishop Luers – as well as other bishops – rest. The limestone façade covering the original brickwork was added between 1949 and 1950.
In its nearly 200-year history, more than a dozen priests have served as rector of the parish and current pastor Father Jake Runyon disseminates his “Message in a Minute” through Flocknote. Cathedral parish boasts a talented choir and hosts ministries including the St. Vincent de Paul Society, prayer chain, Seven Sisters Apostolate and Project Help, which provides emergency assistance for parishioners.
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