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The original church building, St. Paul's Cathedral
and Chapel, downtown at New York and Illinois Streets. St. Paul's was the first Episcopal Cathedral built in the United States. photo circa 1867 |
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November 17, 1946: The Meridian Street church under construction. |
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St. Paul's extensive renovation and expansion project was completed in December 2007. During the 18-month construction period the congregation worshiped in the Parish Hall.
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Parish History & Renovations
A brief overview of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Indianapolis, established in 1866.
Innovation has been a part of the fabric of St. Paul's since it was established nearly 150 years ago.
In 1866, our founders took innovative action and broke away from Christ Church to form St. Paul's. They built a magnificent cathedral-like church at the corner of New York and Illinois Streets in downtown Indianapolis, where St. Paul's Church and prospered for over 70 years.
In the late 1930s, however, the congregation was dwindling, and the parish boldly determined the church building and downtown location no longer facilitated St. Paul's mission. Architects were hired, plans were made, and following World War II, the congregation built a new church in the "country" at the bend on North Meridian Street.
In 2006, a growing congregation, coupled with a church building in need of repairs and a failing pipe organ, prompted an 18-month, “Building on Innovation” project for the renovation and expansion of our church building.
We marked the most innovative aspect of the project, the 180-degree reorientation of the sanctuary, with a grace-filled moment in which we all literally “turned the church around.” This was one of many major updates which resulted in a more unified, welcoming and accessible “campus,” more glorious worship space, and a dedicated new playground and updated youth space.
We are proud to be known as a leader in local, national and international Episcopal outreach initiatives.
Through the years, members and clergy of St. Paul’s have founded and developed programs used throughout the Episcopal Church, including the Catechumenate process of formation for Christian life, the lector training program and materials, National Episcopal Health Ministries, and a model, intergenerational Choir and Choral Scholars Program.
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