A Brief History: The Cathedral of the Incarnation

The Cathedral of the Incarnation is not just a place of worship but it is a legacy which is rich in history and tradition.  Dating back to the beginning of the twentieth century Bishop Thomas Sebastian Byrne acquired the property near Vanderbilt University in 1902 for $18,416.00.  At that time St. Mary’s of the Seven Sorrows was the Cathedral however Bishop Byrne envisioned a larger cathedral to the west of the city due to the parish’s growth.  St. Mary’s continues to operate on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Charlotte in downtown Nashville.

In 1907 the rectory was the first building to be started in the complex and with its completion in March of 1908. The next step was to begin work on the Cathedral School (now known as St. Albert’s Hall).  The first floor of the school was the pro-Cathedral and used as the parish church until the main church was completed. Construction on the church itself began in 1910 with the erection of the bell tower.  After four and one-half years and approximately $500,000.00 the building was completed.  Dedication of the Cathedral of the Incarnation was on July 26, 1914.  Since that date the Cathedral has served the bishop and people of the Catholic Church in Tennessee with dignity and grace.

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord and the Feast of the Incarnation are celebrated on the same day, March 25, when the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive and bear a son, Jesus. This marks the Incarnation of Jesus, when the word became flesh. The name, Cathedral of the Incarnation, has this as its central focus of God becoming man by the Incarnation.

Nashville architect, Christian A. Asmus, in collaboration with Bishop Byrne, modeled the design of the Cathedral from some of the most famous churches in Italy. Being given the nickname of “the Master Builder” by the local press, Bishop Byrne supervised the erection of the Cathedral as “one of the most churchly, ornate, and magnificent edifices south of the Ohio River.” It is a stylish, elegant, and satisfying ecclesiastical structure decorated in Thirteenth Century Italian Renaissance style.