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On June 15, 1995, Bishop Roberto Gonzalez was
officially welcomed to the Diocese as Coadjutor Bishop, and with the
retirement of Bishop Gracida, he became the sixth bishop of the Diocese of
Corpus Christi on April 1, 1997. He devoted his time to the parish with an
increased presence for liturgies, and he appointed Msgr. Michael Howell as
rector of the Cathedral in the summer of 1997. Fr. Mike, a fifth generation
native of Corpus Christi, arrived to find some things much the same as
predecessor Fr. Jaillet had found113 years earlier: a building in dire need
of repairs. He and the Building Committee, a group of construction
professionals who volunteered to help, set about to supervise the work of
restoring the Cathedral’s well-known bell towers which had deteriorated
badly due to age and climatic conditions. The bell tower restoration and
other work was completed in 2001. Additional restoration work remains to be
done as funds become available. Improved landscaping and exterior lighting
were also completed. In spite of a heavy schedule of parochial and
diocesan duties, Fr. Mike has worked and encouraged others to help with the
preservation, organization and documentation of the historic material and
artifacts belonging to the Cathedral parish and the Diocese. His attention
to history revealed an interesting connection with Cathedral’s first
organist, Rebecca Britton and her home, Centennial House, across the street
from the church. It was in this same house that his great-great-grandfather,
Joseph Howell, lived after the family’s arrival in Corpus Christi in 1857.
The availability of these records will help people understand other
connections with the rich history of those who helped to build and develop
the parish we have today. On February 3, 2000, Bishop Edmond Carmody was named seventh bishop for the Diocese by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. He was installed on March 17, 2000—St. Patrick’s Day, the patronal feast of the original Cathedral parish community. With Bishop Carmody, the Corpus Christi Cathedral family prepared to enter a new millennium and the celebration of their 150th anniversary as a parish. The name of St. Patrick’s is perpetuated in a parish on South Alameda, and the old St. Patrick’s church building, with many of its furnishings, appointments, altar, stained glass, and other items, still exists as Our Lady, Star of the Sea Church, located in the beach area north of the Corpus Christi ship channel. The names of many early parishioners can be seen on the beautiful Victorian stained glass windows. From humble beginnings in a small adobe church with only about twenty families to its enrollment of over 1000 families today, the Cathedral parish has been a vital part of the community in good times and bad—wars, epidemics, hurricanes, and depressions. Our church stands today as the beautiful Queen of the Bluff—a living monument to the faithful of the past, today, and those yet to come. Their efforts to follow Christ’s message of love and service to all are worthy of our reflection and thanks as we celebrate our 150th anniversary as a parish. Based on published research by Sister Mary Xavier Holworthy, I.W.B.S. and Hannah Haegelin With additions by Msgr. Michael A. Howell and Geraldine D. McGloin 10/12/02 Photo credits: The black and white photographs from the Cathedral and Diocesan Archives are the work of Dr. Fredrick “ Doc” McGregor. They are in the permanent collection of the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, Corpus Christi, Texas |
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