St. Fidelis Catholic Church - Victoria, Kansas
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 38° 51.390 W 099° 09.056
14S E 486904 N 4300863
Towering above the plains, St. Fidelis Catholic Church, also known as the Cathedral of the Plains is located in Victoria, Kansas.
Waymark Code: WM339V
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 02/03/2008
Views: 54
From
Kansas: A Guide to the Sunflower State - Tour 3 - Victoria section:
Rising magnificently from the low houses around it are the two spires of
the St. Fidelis Church, called by William Jennings Bryan the Cathedral of the
Prairies. Designed by John R. Comes of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Joseph
Marshall of Topeka, the structure is 221 feet long and 73 feet wide with a
transept 107 feet in width. Built of local limestone and Romanesque in
style, its two towers are 141 feet high. the church seats 1,700 person,
almost three times the population of the town.
The church has been well maintained over the years with a major renovation in
1994. The church is visited by about 15,000 tourists each year. Though referred
to as the Cathedral of the Plains, St. Fidelis is not a true cathedral as it is
not a bishop's church. The church was named one of the Eight Wonders of
Kansas on January 29, 2008 by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as a result of
public voting over a 6 month period.. For more information on St. Fidelis
Church, The Cathedral of the Plains see their
website.