Cathedral of St. John Berchmans (Shreveport, Louisiana)

The old parish church traces its origin to the year 1902, when a group of Jesuit priests arrived in Shreveport to establish and staff a new parish and high school for boys. The parish's first rector was Fr. John F. O'Connor, S.J. By 1924, building a larger church was deemed necessary for the growing congregation. The cornerstone of the structure was laid on 31 July 1927. The church was designated a co-cathedral for the Diocese of Alexandria–Shreveport in 1977. That diocese was split, however, on 23 June 1986, creating the Diocese of Shreveport. St. John Berchmans became the cathedral church of the new diocese. The school is now co-educational for grades Pre-K-8. One of its notable alumni is Don Hathaway, the sheriff of Caddo Parish from 1980 to 2000. The cathedral was renovated in 2014; the High Altar and Tabernacle were restored and some elements installed in the 1992-1994 renovations were removed. ==Architectural details==

The cathedral was completed in a mixed Tudor-Gothic style: the exposed wooden beams inside the church are typical of the Tudor style, while the pointed arches of the windows and doorways evince a Gothic influence. Three of the large windows inside the church were executed by the stained-glass artist Emil Frei Jr. ==Gallery==

File:St. John Berchman Cathedral tower.JPG File:St. John Berchman Shreveport Cathedral and School.JPG File:St. John Berchman Cathedral and School.JPG File:St. John Berchman Shreveport Cathedral front view picture number 2.JPG File:St. John Berchman Cathedral tower in Shreveport.JPG File:St. John Berchman Cathedral mini garden.JPG File:SJBCATH.jpeg ==See also==