Sacred Heart Cathedral (Gallup, New Mexico)

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Sacred Heart Cathedral is a cathedral church located at 415 East Green Avenue in Gallup, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup.

History

Sacred Heart Church

The opening of coal mines around Gallup in the late 19th century drew many Catholic immigrants to Gallup. At that time, the area was part of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The archdiocese in 1893 sent the priest George Julliard to Gallup in 1893 to minister to the Catholic population there. He erected the Sacred Heart church in 1899.[1][2]

The Sacred Heart Church collapsed in 1916. The parish built a new structure on Hill Street between 4th and 5th Streets in 1917.[1]

Sacred Heart Cathedral

In 1939, Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Gallup and designated Sacred Heart Church as Sacred Heart Cathedral[3] The present cathedral dates from 1955 and replaced the 1917 sanctuary at a cost of $500,000.[4] Franciscan Friars served the parish until July 1, 1981, when the first diocesan priest, Alfred Tachias, became pastor and cathedral rector. In 2022, the diocese replaced the roof on the cathedral.[5]

In 2026, the diocese began planning to build a new school building for Sacred Heart School on the cathedral campus. The school is currently located on an off-site property that the diocese wants to sell. The plan was to use the sale proceeds to construct the new school.

References

  1. 1.[1.2]"Diocese of Gallup - Our History". The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  2. 2."History". Sacred Heart Cathedral. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  3. 3."Sacred Heart Cathedral". GCatholic. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  4. 4."Diocese of Gallup". New Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America. 1967.
  5. 5."CONSTRUCTION ANNOUNCEMENT". Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish. 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2026-05-15.