Corpus Christi Cathedral will reopen Thursday, June 4, with doors set to open at 5 p.m. and a 6 p.m. Mass that includes the consecration of a new altar, bringing the Diocese of Corpus Christi back to its central worship space on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
The reopening comes after more than a year of renovation work and follows a period when several major diocesan events had to be moved to Most Precious Blood Catholic Church. After the Mass, a procession will move from the cathedral courtyard through downtown and back for a blessing of the tabernacle, followed by a light reception in the courtyard.
Bishop Mario Avilés will lead the liturgy, and the diocese plans to livestream the Mass and procession on its Facebook page, YouTube channel and the CCCN app. The cathedral’s exterior will still look familiar, but the work inside brings a brighter look with new LED lighting, lighter paint colors, brighter flooring, new furnishings and new pews.
Even with the updates, the renovation was built around what parish leaders wanted to keep. Statues, stained glass, murals in the apse, green marble, columns, light fixtures and the ceiling design were retained, along with the Saint Anthony and Pietà statues and much of the cathedral’s signature green marble and tile work.
The cathedral’s return also carries the weight of its history. The church originated as St. Patrick’s Parish in 1853, the city’s first Catholic church, and the current cathedral was built in 1940. About 85 years later, it is reopening not as a new building, but as a restored one — modernized where needed, but still anchored to the same look and role it has held for generations.
Mark Cervantes, in remarks released ahead of the reopening, said the diocese is inviting everyone to the celebration and described the project as bringing “a new level of excitement and hope, optimism and a renewed sense of energy and respect and beauty.” He also said the effort involved volunteers, clergy and workers from inside and outside the community, a reminder that the renovation was as much a communal undertaking as a construction project.
