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WHEREAS, Saint Paul Cathedral at Fifth Avenue and Craig Street in Oakland was dedicated and consecrated on Wednesday, October 24, 1906-one hundred years ago today; and
WHEREAS, for the past 99 years, the Cathedral has functioned as the Mother Church of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and served as a symbol of the Church in Southwestern Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, the present structure is the successor to two previous cathedrals located at Fifth Avenue and Grant Street, the first built in 1843 which was destroyed by fire in 1851, and the second completed in 1855; and
WHEREAS, the Cathedral was built in 14th century Flemish Gothic style, standing 247 feet high at the spires with numerous works of devotional art throughout; and
WHEREAS, today, the Diocese of Pittsburgh includes 214 parishes and more than 800,000 Catholics, and the Cathedral itself includes over 1,700 families; and
WHEREAS, each year, the Cathedral hosts ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate; hundreds of baptisms, weddings and funerals; and
WHEREAS, in 1969, the Cathedral hosted Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Krakow, Poland, the future Pope John Paul II, and hosted Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1979; and
WHEREAS, Archbishop Wuerl has said, "the Cathedral has stood in the midst of our community as a sign of our continuity with the Apostolic faith and as a symbol of our unity with the Church Universal;" and
WHEREAS, at the 3:00 p.m. Mass at Saint Paul Cathedral on Sunday, October 22, 2006, Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl concluded a year of celebrations and activities for the centennial of the Cathedral.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend all the caretakers of Saint Paul Cathedral and thank the members of the Diocese of Pittsburgh for their contributions to the City over the last century.