Church in GA, United States
| Cathedral of Christ the King | |
|---|---|
| Catedral de Cristo Rey (Spanish) | |
 Cathedral of Christ the King,Atlanta, Georgia (2005) | |
  Location in GeorgiaShow map of Georgia Location in United StatesShow map of the United States | |
| 33°49′41.09″N 84°23′13.023″W / 33.8280806°N 84.38695083°W / 33.8280806; -84.38695083 | |
| Location | Atlanta, GA |
| Address | 2699 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, Georgia |
| Country | United States |
| Language(s) | English (primary), Spanish (select events & masses) |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Membership | ~5,700 registered families |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Co-Cathedral of Christ the King (1939-1956, until Diocese of Savannah and Atlanta split) |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Founder(s) | First Pastor, Fr. Joseph E. Moylan |
| Consecrated | 1939 |
| Past bishop(s) | Wilton Daniel Gregory (2004-2019), elevated to Cardinal |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Henry D. Dagit, Jr. |
| Style | French Neo-Gothic |
| Years built | 1937-1939 |
| Groundbreaking | 1937 |
| Completed | 1939 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 700 |
| Number of spires | 2 |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Administration | |
| Metropolis | Atlanta |
| Archdiocese | Atlanta |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Most Rev. Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv |
| Auxiliary Bishop(s) | Most Rev. John-Nhan Tran
Most Rev. Bernard Edward Shlesinger III Most Rev. Joel Matthias Konzen |
| Rector | Msgr. Francis G. McNamee |
| Vicar(s) | Rev. Joe Wagner, Rev. Juan Carlos Villota Viteri |
| Deacon(s) | Rev. Mr. Chris Andronaco, Rev. Mr. John McManus, Rev. Mr. Bruce Goodwin, Rev. Mr. Whitney Robicahux |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | Michael Accurso |
| Youth ministry coordinator | Children's: Elaine McCollum, Teens: Kate Curran, Lana Urbina |
The Cathedral of Christ the King is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. The cathedral is located on Peachtree Road in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States.
As of 2025, Christ the King Parish had over 5,300 registered families, making it one of the largest parishes in the archdiocese. Christ the King School (CKS) in 2025 had an enrollment of approximately 500 students. Monsignor Francis G. McNamee is the cathedral rector as of 2025.
The cathedral, dedicated in 1939, was designed in the Gothic Revival style and was constructed over a two-year period. Christ the King has a large number of stained glass windows created by the Willets Studios. Over the decades, the parish has added a convent, chapel, parish center and auditorium/gymnasium to the cathedral property.
History
In early 1936, Bishop Gerald P. O'Hara, bishop of the Diocese of Savannah, erected the parish of Christ the King in Atlanta. The congregation purchased in foreclosure a mansion on four acres of land for $35,000 that had previously belonged to a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. While converting the mansion into a temporary chapel, the congregation celebrated masses on the front porch. The first mass on the property was celebrated in August 1936
The Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart began construction of CKS in 1936 on the parish property. When the school auditorium was finished, the parish moved its masses there and demolished the mansion. After purchasing some adjacent property, the parish began planning its church.
On January 5, 1937, recognizing the growth of the City of Atlanta, Pope Pius XI converted the Diocese of Savannah into the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta. He designated Christ the King Church, still under construction, as a future co-cathedral of the new diocese, along with the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah.
The groundbreaking for the new co-cathedral occurred on April 18, 1937, and O'Hara laid its cornerstone on October 31, 1937. Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, archbishop of Philadelphia, dedicated the Co-Cathedral of Christ the King on January 18, 1939. An issue of Architectural Record from that same year called it the "...most beautiful building in Atlanta".
On July 2, 1956, Pope Pius XII erected the new Diocese of Atlanta, with Christ the King designated as its cathedral. In the 1950's, the parish constructed a free-standing convent and a chapel in the cathedral. The Hyland Center, a $25 million combined auditorium and gymnasium, was completed in 1961. The parish constructed a parish center on the cathedral property in 1999.
In 2014, the parish purchased a nearby property for $1.9 million that the archdiocese had previously rented as a residence for Archbishop Wilton Gregory. The parish announced plans to convert the house into a two-story $3 million rectory for its priests. Many parishioners complained about the cost of the project. In addition, neighbors objected to its presence in their neighborhood.
A group gathered outside Christ the King Cathedral on Sunday September 23, 2018, to protest the handling of sexual abuse allegations against priests by the Catholic church.
Cathedral
Structure
The architect for Christ the King Cathedral was Henry D. Dagit Jr. of Henry D. Dagit & Sons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The firm designed many Catholic churches in the United States.
The main entrance to the cathedral has a large recessed pointed arch with three colonnettes and moldings them. The doors have narrow windows on each side and a statue of Christ sits in a niche above the entrance. The cathedral exterior is set in ashlar stone.
Inside the cathedral, Dagit used a Gothic Revival style for the sanctuary, with Art Deco influences on the stone reredos.The nave has groin vaults with transverse ribs. The nave walls are inner buttresses framing each bay. The bays contain mosaic tile depictions of the Stations of the Cross.
Windows
The stained glass windows for the cathedral were manufactured by the Willet Stained Glass Studios of Philadelphia.They were removed and restored in 2015 by the Daprato Rigali Studios of Chicago, Illinois.
- South rose window - shows Mary and the child Jesus with angels; a Tree of Jesse appears below in the two lancet windows.
- Chancel rose window - depicts Christ the King, going into into the top petal; the other four petals contain the Tetramorph.
- Chancel eucharistic and trinity windows - paired lancet windows with scenes in rectangles
- North transept paired lancet windows - paired lances showing the glories of Mary and the childhood of Christ
- South transept paired lancets - the children’s window and St. Joseph’s window
- Nave lancets - themes include the life of Christ, the Americas, Hebrew scriptures and early Christianity
Parish ministries
Christ the King Parish sponsors 81 ministries for adults, teenagers and children.
Family and children's ministry
- Family sacrament preparation
- Parish School of Religion
- CTK Young Families Ministry
- Volunteering
CTK Young Church
- Middle School Ministry
- High School Ministry
Youth recreation ministry
Basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country running, summer camps and enrichment activities
Adult ministries
- 20/30 Somethings, adoration guardians, Bible Study, Rosary Group, Women's Club, Men's Club, Knights of Columbus, prayer chain
- Flower Guild, lectors, extraordinary ministers of holy communion, ushers, Wedding Guild
- Funeral Ministry, Sandwich/Snack Bag Making Team (MUST Ministries), Baking Team, St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Adult and children's choirs
See also
- List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
- List of cathedrals in the United States
- List of Roman Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Atlanta
References
- ^ "Cathedral of Christ the King | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA". Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- "Savannah (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ "Our Story – Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta". Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- "Explore Christ the King School in Atlanta, GA". GreatSchools.org. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- "NBRS Christ The King School of Atlanta, GA". National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- "Savannah (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- Badertscher, Nancy (May 2, 2014). "Mansion move sparked by church growth?". PolitiFact. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
- "About Us: Our Story". Cathedral of Christ the King. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
- ^ "Cathedral of Christ the King". SAH ARCHIPEDIA. September 10, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- "Buckhead Residents Fight $3M Church Rectory Project". Buckhead, GA Patch. April 24, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- "Protesters rally against sex abuse scandal outside Atlanta's home Catholic church". 11Alive.com. September 23, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- "Henry D. Dagit & Sons (fl. 1922 - 1959) -- Philadelphia Architects and Buildings". www.americanbuildings.org. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- Butterman, Eric (Spring 2016). "Church restoration a family reunion". Notre Dame Magazine. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
- "September 6 – CTK Atlanta". Cathedral of Christ the King. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
- Craig, Robert M (September 10, 2019). "Cathedral of Christ the King". SAH ARCHIPEDIA. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
- "Family and Children's Ministry – Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta". Retrieved January 4, 2025.
- "CTK Youth". Retrieved January 4, 2025.
- "Youth Recreation Ministry – Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta". Retrieved January 4, 2025.
- "All Ministries – Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta". Retrieved January 4, 2025.
- "All Ministries – Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta". Retrieved January 4, 2025.
External links
Media related to Cathedral of Christ the King (Atlanta, Georgia) at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
- Cathedral of Christ the King: Photo Gallery by The Catholic Photographer
- Mass, adoration and confession times at Christ the King Cathedral
- Roman Catholic cathedrals in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Christian organizations established in 1936
- Roman Catholic churches completed in 1939
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
- Roman Catholic churches in Atlanta
- Gothic Revival church buildings in Georgia (U.S. state)
- 1939 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
- 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States