SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral
We at the Catholic Cathedral of Ss. Simon and Jude believe our history is one worth celebrating, defending, and boldly building upon.
The year was 1954 when Fr. Paul Smith welcomed five religious sisters to help him found a new Parish and School. Those brave women and Fr. Smith had traded the green hills of Ireland for the sunbaked gravel of Arizona. The city of Phoenix was under the Diocese of Tucson at that time and its population was about 322,000 – less than 7% of what it is today!
As the city expanded through the 1950s and early 1960s, the need for a larger parish church grew rapidly. We outgrew the original church – what is now Smith Hall. In December 1966, the current church was dedicated for the SSJ parish. Only three years later, Ss. Simon & Jude parish was elevated to the status of Cathedral as the new diocese of Phoenix was established on December 2nd, 1969.
Ss. Simon & Jude has welcomed visiting dignitaries (governors of Arizona), celebrated solemn funerals (Bishop Rausch, May 24, 1981), and was graced by the visit of Pope Saint John Paul II on September 14th, 1987. While the walls still glowed from one saintly visit, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, better known simply as “Mother Teresa,” visited the Cathedral in May 1989 and gave an address here as she personally established the still active community of Missionaries of Charity in inner-city Phoenix.
We have weathered the winds of change and the ongoing growth of our city, providing spiritual nourishment and familiar shelter without fail. This has only been possible because of the faithful and generous support of many, many priests, religious, and lay faithful – such as yourself! Welcome home. Let’s keep it going!
