Color postcard (14 x 9 cm.) with an exterior view of St. Philomena's Catholic Church, located at 1335 South 10th Street in Omaha, Nebraska; trees on one side.
St. Philomena's is the oldest Catholic parish in Nebraska. This was the third church building constructed for the parish. The church pictured here at 10th & William Streets was built in 1908. Designed by architect Thomas Rogers Kimball, it is a steel-framed structure of stucco and limestone in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style. It cost $40,000 to build. The church fixtures were elements from the first two churches. The organ, built by Johnson & Son of St. Louis, Missouri in 1869, was the first pipe organ in Omaha. The church held cathedral status from 1908 to 1916, but reverted to parish status with the construction of St. Cecilia's Cathedral. In 1910, it became a national parish serving the Italian community. After the nullification of St. Philomena’s canonization in 1958, it was renamed St. Frances Cabrini in honor of the first Italian immigrant and U. S. citizen to be canonized. Source: Omaha Public Library Omaha History Clipping File- Churches-Roman Catholic-St. Philomena's Cathedral & St. Frances Cabrini and Jeffrey Spencer’s "Building for the Ages: Omaha's Architectural Landmarks." Omaha Books, 2003. p. 113.
