Welcome to the Cathedral of St. Joseph

Arising over the new tabernacle — which reserves the Sacramental Presence of our Lord — there is a multidimensional depiction of the whole Paschal Mystery, that is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The placement of the Crucifix and the mosaic of his resurrection and gift of the Holy Spirit with the Father manifests the necessity of both the death and resurrection of Jesus in saving us.

But, as we know, the story didn’t end at the crucifixion.

Below is the river of life, with trees full of life-giving fruit and leaves for the healing of the nations (cf. Revelation 22:2). At the base of the trees, thistles turn into blossoms (the reverse of the curse of Adam). In the trees are four pheasants (native birds of Missouri) and a blue peacock (symbol of the Resurrection). Below the trees are 12 sheep representing the disciples, who follow the Lamb of God — and carry his Word across the Earth.

Behind the crucifix, a resplendent mosaic exemplifies the glory of the Resurrection. The hand of God is shown at the apex of the mosaic as the Holy Spirit radiates rays of “sonlight,” magnificent arcs of golden grace. In harmony with the cross, this depiction makes it clear for all to see how the Holy Spirit originates from the Father and the Son.

Below is the river of life, with trees full of life-giving fruit and leaves for the healing of the nations (cf. Revelation 22:2). At the base of the trees, thistles turn into blossoms (the reverse of the curse of Adam). In the trees are four pheasants (native birds of Missouri) and a blue peacock (symbol of the Resurrection). Below the trees are 12 sheep representing the disciples, who follow the Lamb of God — and carry his Word across the Earth.

The artwork occupies a new recessed apse in the Cathedral sanctuary. The apse was included in the original design for the Cathedral, but the architect at that time was unable to overcome the structural challenge of creating this open space while keeping the essential steel tensile ring intact. Today, the challenge has been overcome. A section of the tensile ring is now exposed and encased in wood — allowing us to create a space that simultaneously tells the story of Christ’s death and resurrection — while adding to the symbolism of this expression of the Paschal Mystery.

The Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and summit of our faith, which is why the altar of sacrifice, where we celebrate the Eucharist, is so prominent. It is made of rock (marble) to remind us Christ is the rock of our salvation (cf. Exodus 17:6), pierced on the cross so that the baptismal and eucharistic sustenance might come forth to nourish us to eternal life (cf. John 19:34). Under the altar are the relics of 10 saints (cf. Revelation 6:9-11); the saints imitate the sacrifice of Christ in their lives.

The ambo, where God’s Word is proclaimed, bears the image of the stone that covered the tomb of Christ because the angel who proclaimed the resurrection of Christ rolled away the stone and sat on it (cf. Matthew 28:2, 6). The minister of the Word stands over the stone on the ambo to proclaim the scripture, which centers on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The ambo extends over the stairs into the congregation, like the prow of a ship moving forward. Like the baptismal font, it is eight-sided — seven for the days of the first creation and eight for the first day of the new creation, the day of Resurrection, the eighth day.

The ambry is made of bronze, located under the mosaic of St. Joseph and Child, and houses the Holy Oils: the Sacred Chrism (used for Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the dedication of a church and altar), Oil of the Sick (used for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick) and Oil of the Catechumens (used as a preparatory anointing in Baptism). These oils usually come from the olive tree because of its biblical connection to peace and healing (cf. Genesis 8:11) and because the olive tree itself is known for longevity and strength.

The patroness of our diocese is depicted in a prominent mosaic above the cathedra. The mother of Jesus is pointing to her heart, visible outside of her body, in a symbol of her profound love for all humanity. Mary’s love is so intense that her heart is shown as on fire and radiant with compassion.

This depiction of Mary is accompanied in the sanctuary by a mosaic of our Cathedral’s namesake, St. Joseph, shown holding Jesus — placing the Holy Family firmly at the forefront in our Cathedral as examples of Christian life.

Under the mosaic of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the chair whose name gives meaning to the uniqueness of this particular church. Called the cathedra (Greek for “seat”), the chair symbolizes the authority of the diocesan bishop, who is the principal of unity for the local Church.

The use of the cathedra is reserved to the Diocesan Bishop, or another bishop with Diocesan Bishop’s permission. From the cathedra, prayers are lead, preaching is given, the sacraments are celebrated, and blessings are imparted.

Stained glass has borne a place of honor in churches for more than 1,000 years. Since at least the seventh century, Christian artists have literally brought to light the story of salvation, often to a largely illiterate population.

Our new stained glass windows illustrate the quote from Acts 2:42 that circumscribes the Cathedral: “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” These three themes are illustrated with three sets of four windows depicting an Old Testament prefiguration, the fulfillment of the theme in the life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, the New Testament continuation of the theme in the life of the Church (from the Acts of the Apostles), and a hagiographical (having to do with the lives of the Saints) illustration of the theme in the lives of the Saints.

The teaching of the apostles, a theme directly related to the revelation of the Word of God, is illustrated with Moses receiving the Ten Commandments, the Transfiguration of Christ as the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, the first preaching of St. Peter at Pentecost, and the first four Latin doctors of the Church with the first four women doctors of the Church.

The theme of communal life is depicted with the Israelites’ assembly (or “ecclesia,” from which we get “the Church”) escape from Egypt; Jesus’ miraculously feeding the multitudes with the loaves and the fishes; the institution of the diaconate; and the Holy Family as the model of the domestic church.

The theme of the breaking of the bread and the prayers show the Old Testament liturgy conducted by Aaron and the priests in the tabernacle of the Most High God; the scene from the Emmaus story; and the preaching and practice of baptism by Paul with Silas in their encounter with the Philippian jailer; and finally the depiction of the Sacrament of Holy Order of the Priesthood using the image of Venerable Father Augustus Tolton.

Together, these illuminations allow both physical light and the Light of Christ to open our eyes and our hearts.

High above the congregation, in the oculus above the Cathedral, are the letters “IHS.” This is a traditional symbol for Christ which stems from the first three Greek letters in the name Jesus.

This placement atop the Cathedral is meant to demonstrate that our Church is the body of Christ present in the world.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE was declared patroness of "New Spain" (Central and North America) in 1754 by Pope Benedict XIV. In 1945, Venerable Pope Pius XII declared her patroness of America. The words of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego spoke to the people of Mexico and speak to all of us still today: "Am I not here, I, who am your mother?" The mosaic is a detailed replica of the tilma of St. Juan Diego, which is justly famous for its miraculous origins and continued miracles today. Her shrine calls us all to be one family under Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her feast day is December 12.

ST. ROSE PHILIPPINE DUCHESNE was born in Grenoble, France, in 1769 and died in St. Charles, Missouri, in 1852. In 1804, she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and in 1818 was sent te the bishop of the Louisiana territory, who was looking for a congregation of educators to help him evangelize the Indian and French children of his diocese. She founded a house for the Society in St. Charles, Missouri and opened the first free school west of the Mississippi. By 1828, she had founded six communities operating schools for young women. When she was 72, she went to a school for the Potawatomi in Sugar Creek, Kansas, and became known by them as the "Woman-Who-Prays-Always." A year later, she returned to St. Charles and later died there at the age of 83. She was renowned for her prayer life and for her care and education of indigenous Americans. She is the patron saint of perseverance amid adversity. Her feast day is November 18. Her shrine honors our diocesan commitment to educating the whole person, regardless of race or ethnicity.

The shrine of ST. ISIDORE AND BLESSED MARIA proclaims the sanctity of married life and the beauty of farm life, honoring the rural character of our diocese. Isidore prayed while at work and shared what he had with the poor. He arrived later than the other field laborers because he never missed morning Mass, yet his work never suffered. His feast day is May 15. Blessed Maria cared and cooked for the poor whom Isidore regularly brought home. After Isidore's death, she lived in quiet solitude and prayed constantly. Her feast day is September 9.