Cathedral of St John the Evangelist

About

The Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist (also known as St John's Cathedral) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Portsmouth, England. It is the mother church of the Portsmouth diocese and seat of the Bishop of Portsmouth, currently the Right Reverend Philip Egan. It was dedicated on 10 August 1882. The cathedral is one of two cathedral churches in the city, the other being the Church of England Cathedral Church of St Thomas which is located about one mile to the south.

History: In 1791, Rev. John Cahill was assigned to Portsmouth and held services in a private house. A chapel was opened in Prince George Street in 1796 by Rev. Joseph Knapp. As a garrison town with an increasing number of Catholics, a larger space was needed. In 1877 Rev. John Horan purchased land from the War Department and hired architect John Crawley. Construction started in 1879, thanks to a donation from the Duke of Norfolk. It was opened in 1882 and is the first cathedral to have been built in Portsmouth. When the Diocese of Portsmouth was formed in May 1882, St. John's was named the cathedral. The cathedral was consecrated by the first bishop of the new diocese, John Vertue, on 29 March 1887. He enlarged...