Founded in 1818, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston is a historic Epicopalian cathedral with a thriving congregation.
Founded in 1818, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston is a historic Epicopalian cathedral with a thriving congregation.
St. Paul's was founded in 1818. At that time, there were two other Episcopal parishes in Boston - Old North Church and Trinity Church - both of which were founded as Anglican churches before the Revolution. St. Paul's was the first parish church with entirely American origins in the city, as well as the first Neoclassical building in New England.
In 1912, St. Paul's was consecrated the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul has witnessed a number of historic events over the centuries. In 1846, Alexander Crummel was ordained deacon; he was the first African-American to be ordained in Massachusetts and only the third in the entire country. It would be 121 years before another African-American was ordained in the state.
In December 1985, the first public AIDS healing service in Boston was held at St. Paul's. In September 1988, the first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion, Barbara C. Harris, was elected in St. Paul's. Muslims have used the building for Friday prayers since before 9/11.
Located on Boston Common, St. Paul's Cathedral has a Neoclassical facade atop monumental steps. The open interior is topped with a coffered barrel vault. The dean describes the architecture this way: "[it] looks like a bank on the outside and a United Nations meeting on the inside."
