Steeple Sunday: Sacred Heart Cathedral

I've been featuring some very impressive steeples that were very tall and grand. Sacred Heart steeple is just slightly taller than the roof. My research on Sacred Heart Cathedral was very interesting. It states, many cathedrals are known for soaring steeples or organs; however, Sacred Heart Cathedral has another distinction:
It is the smallest Roman Catholic cathedral in the United States.
The church was founded in 1924. It has a seating capacity of 320. According to the article in the newspaper, Easter weekend more than 4,200 celebrated one of several Masses either in the sanctuary, the school hall behind the Cathedral or on closed circuit TV at a nearby hotel.
The Cathedral claims 5,871 members, yet it is so small the building has no bathrooms.

Sacred Heart Cathedral sits in the heart of downtown Raleigh on Hillsborough Street. There is no other Catholic Church in downtown Raleigh. I've always admired the front entrance to the church and of course the sturdy stone construction. I've attended a wedding in the church it is lovely inside. The terrazzo flooring has a floral theme and the ceiling is bright blue with inlaid 14-carat gold leaf stars. In 1998 it had a major facelift at the cost of $500,000. Obviously, there is a need for a larger building. A committee has been formed to discuss a new home; however, the it sits on a tiny piece of land with no room for expansion. The church leaders have hired a consulting firm to study the feasiblity of a new cathedral. There are several locations being considered but not in downtown. It sounds as if the plan is for the original Cathedral will remain untouched and that is good news for this historical landmark.