Catholic Diocese of Sacramento history

The cornerstone was laid on June 12, 1887, and the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, largest church west of the Mississippi River, was completed for dedication two years later.

Many of the elements of the cathedral were not in place in time for the dedication on June 30, 1889.

Like its counterpart in Virginia City, this school and its sequel closed in 1892.

In 1895, Patrick Manogue died in the Cathedral he built.

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 91, Number 5, 28 February 1896

By 1897 Virginia City Catholic schools had closed, suffering the same fate of numerous business and mining enterprises when the fortunes of the city had waned.

As time went on, Bishop Grace’s health weakened and the first auxiliary bishop was appointed in Sacramento — Father Patrick J. Keane who later went on to become the third Bishop of Sacramento in March of 1922.

The rectory seen here on the north side of the cathedral was built in 1924.

The diocese of Nevada was formally created on the feast of St Joseph, March 19, 1931.

These pictures show the original altar that remained until 1939.

Undaunted, the school opened its doors for the new school year in September 1948.

There was no senior class, so the first class to graduate was the class of 1950, consisting of 14 students: eight boys and six girls.

Almost immediately upon his installation in 1962, he addressed a range of pending matters, most specifically building projects and new sites to answer the needs of a still-growing Diocese — namely Catholic high school development.

Read an article about the "sale" by Eleanor Doyle, printed in the February 1968 issue of the Catholic Herald

By December of 1979, Bishop Francis Quinn was selected as Bishop Bell’s successor.

The appointment of Auxiliary Bishop Alphonse Gallegos in 1982 also facilitated positive relations with the Hispanic population.

In 1992 the days of priests and religious figures serving as principals of Bishop Manogue Catholic High School changed course.

Bishop Quinn retired in January of 1994.

Bishop Philip Straling, appointed Bishop of the Reno Diocese in 1995 when the state of Nevada was split into two dioceses—one headquartered in Reno and one in Las Vegas—was foresighted on many fronts.

Bishop William K. Weigand convoked the Synod August 3, 2003 on the steps of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento, opening the planning and preparation of this historic event while also formally closing the doors of the 117-year-old Cathedral for restoration.

Despite the considerable challenges of raising sufficient funds, a new school facility opened in the fall of 2004.

Synod Initiatives were promulgated on January 9, 2005: English | Spanish

A subsequent Synod meeting of members convened January 16, 2006.

Bishop Weigand retired November 2008 and today, monitors his health as he travels, and lends support to Bishop Soto as Bishop Emeritus.

In the 2009-10 academic year, Bishop Manogue established an Independent Learning Center (ILC) for students with learning differences.

The tree in front of it grew nearly as tall as the spire next to it, before it was felled by strong winds in 2017.

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