Trinity Cathedral, Episcopal cathedral in downtown San Jose, United States
Trinity Cathedral is a Carpenter Gothic church of redwood logged in the Santa Cruz Mountains, designed by retired sea captain and shipbuilder James W. Hammond, a member of the vestry. It was first a rectangular building with a steep hipped roof; the structure was later cut in half, pulled apart by horses, turned to face North Second Street and given transept arms in a cross plan, with a bell tower and an 1884 spire.
The congregation organized as Trinity Church in 1861, after the Rev. Sylvester S. Etheridge arrived in late 1860; services were first held in the North Market Street firehouse and then in City Hall. The church building was completed in 1863 and consecrated by Bishop William Ingraham Kip four years later. When the Diocese of El Camino Real was created in 1980, Trinity was elevated to a cathedral.
Trinity was the mother congregation of ten Episcopal congregations formed over the years, and since 1980 it has been the seat of the Diocese of El Camino Real. Sunday services are held at 10:30 AM in English and 1:00 PM in Spanish. The Rev. Sylvester S. Etheridge led the congregation from 1861 to 1864.
The cathedral opens on Sundays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with services at 10:30 AM in English and 1:00 PM in Spanish. The office is open 11 AM to 3 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. It stands by St. James Park in downtown San Jose.
In 2017 Trinity expanded its 18-bell chime into a 24-bell carillon, the third in the Bay Area after Stanford's Hoover Tower and UC Berkeley's Campanile. The instrument is played on special occasions and holidays.
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