St. Peter's Cathedral

St. Peter's Cathedral is the Roman Catholic cathedral at 315 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton. The entire St. Peter's Cathedral Complex is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.DescriptionThe church was built in 1867, as the parish church of St. Vincent de Paul. In 1883-4, a project was undertaken to remodel and embellish the church, which by now was the central church of the diocese, and on September 28, 1884, the new mother church of the diocese was consecrated by Archbishop P. J. Ryan of Philadelphia, and its name changed to the Cathedral of St. Peter, marking its new role in the still-young diocese. The cathedral complex includes the adjacent rectory (1908) and convent.The original windows of the church contained simple red and white diamond-shaped panes. The stained glass windows now found in the cathedral date from the alterations begun in 1883. Much of this work can be attributed to the French architect Durang and later to the German designer Frank Mayer. In addition to the use of stained glass in the clerestory and over the entrances, there are 15 grandiose windows focusing on the life of Christ and highlighting the Virgin Mary and other saints. Of special note are the windows depicting the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, and the Last Supper.