On Sept. 7, the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh announced its plans to build a new cathedral in southwest Raleigh.
The 2,000 seat cathedral will be located somewhere between Centennial Parkway and Western Boulevard, placing it very close to much of the N.C . State campus. The cathedral will span over 39 acres, and is to be part of the Church’s social outreach program.
Not only will church services be conducted in the cathedral, but religious concerts and lectures will also be held there. It will also serve as a safe haven for the poor, according to the Catholic Diocese.
Bishop Michael Burbidge , the Bishop heading the cathedral’s fundraising efforts, was contacted several times by phone for an interview, but did not return calls.
While the cathedral will not be affiliated with N.C . State, its presence so close to the University has caused a stir among the school’s many religious groups, s pecifically with Campus Crusade for Christ, a non-denominational para-church organization. Jasmine Prebles , senior staff with Campus Crusade for Christ at State, noted that many of its members worship at local churches and attend Bible studies and worship meetings offered on campus.
When asked about the organization’s take on the cathedral plans, she did not seem worried that it might take away worshippers from the campus organization.
“We were unaware that the Catholic Diocese is building a Cathedral, but our hopes for this new cathedral is that more students would actively pursue Christ through this cathedral,” Prebles said.
Echoing her opinion that the church would not interfere with students’ current means of worship was Kayla DeWald , a sophomore in middle grades education.
“I don’t think the new cathedral is going to affect how I worship now, I doubt it will change much of anyone’s current routine,” DeWald said.
Furthermore, Erinn Allen, senior in the CHASS department, agreed with Prebles’ hope that the cathedral would attract worshippers.
“It will probably be really convenient for a lot of people to have a big cathedral right next to campus. Students might start going to church more,” Allen said.
Yet, with all the enthusiasm voiced by the organizations and students of a Christian faith, one has to wonder whether students of minority faiths have welcomed this large cathedral with such ease.
In looking at State’s Chaplains’ Cooperative Ministry, Christian groups dominate the landscape. Though several of these organizations tout themselves as “non-denominational,” there is only one student group on the list that does not affiliate itself with Jesus Christ: Hillel Jewish Student Life.
While few of these organizations have main offices on campus; the majority of them hold regular and easily found meetings on campus. However, Hillel Jewish Student Life has its main offices and meetings on the campus of UNC-CH .
Though the new cathedral will be a beautiful addition to a somewhat underwhelming area, if it proves, as Prebles and students hope, to be a call to Christ for some, it remains to be seen if it also serves as a call to action for others.