Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
With construction beginning in 1887, the cathedral
came another example of the strength and history in Sacramento’s architecture. The area is home to the largest concentration of buildings dating back to the mid-19th century Gold Rush Era in the United States. The
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament combines this history with today’s life. Among the first of thousands to seek his fortune in the Gold Rush here, Patrick Manogue was different than other fortune seekers. His goal was to earn enough money to travel to Paris so he could attend
seminary college and become a priest. While in Paris in 1860, Manogue became enchanted by the cathedrals. When he was appointed Sacramento’s first bishop in 1886, Manogue worked to secure property just one block away from the state capitol building with the dream
of building a cathedral inspired by the churches he’d seen in Europe. He modeled the cathedral after L’Eglise de la Sainte-Trinite in Paris. Once completed, there was no cathedral equal in size west of the Mississippi River. The building is a modified basilica form 200 feet long
and 100 feet wide and seats 1400 people The central bell tower rises 215 feet. A recent restoration has made this landmark a work of beauty that will draw worshippers from around the world for hundreds of years to come.
My son took many gorgeous photos of the cathedral exterior. These are a few of my favorites. All photos byTim Overton Photography. 2010

Kit: Blissful by Cindy Ritter
Fonts: Arno Pro, Coneria Script