What is a Cathedral?

The term “cathedral” is often confusing to those who are not of the Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, or Orthodox faith. However, it is simply the proper name for a church where the seat of the bishop is located. Catholics and members of the other denominations listed above visit the cathedral for worship and other church related or church sponsored activities. The cathedral may be the center of either a diocese, conference, or episcopate, depending upon the religion which one belongs to.

Cathedrals are often built to be exceptionally beautiful, and most will stand to be thousands of years old or more. Others are famous for their own unique reasons. The Los Angeles Cathedral, for example, is quite famous because many films have scenes which were shot using this cathedral. Its proper name is actually the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, and it serves over four million Catholics in the area.

Some cathedral names are common, and so individuals can find a Sacred Heart Cathedral, a Cathedral of Hope, a St. Johns Cathedral, a Holy Family Cathedral, a St. Joseph Cathedral, and of course, a St. Mary Cathedral just about anywhere they go. However, one should never assume that two cathedrals are “related” just because they have the same name or even that they belong to the same religious organization. While most people would assume, for example, that a cathedral called the St. John Cathedral would be a cathedral Catholic, there are Episcopalian and Methodist churches that go by the name St. John.

Many cathedrals also host elementary or secondary schools, typically referred to as a Cathedral Academy. Parishioners are never required to send their children to such a school if it exists. In fact, such schools are generally open to students who do not share the same faith as the school’s officials.