Holy Family Cathedral, Roman Catholic cathedral in University Heights, Saskatchewan, Canada
Holy Family Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the University Heights Suburban Centre of Saskatoon, next to St. Joseph High School. The 65,000 sq ft (6,039 m2) building, designed in an anachronistic modernist style recalling late 1950s-60s visions of the future, seats 1,200 in the main worship space, with overflow space for 2,000. It also houses a parish church, residence, offices, library, archive storage, banquet hall and community centre.
St. Paul's Cathedral had reached its physical limits, so the Diocese of Saskatoon built a replacement. Construction of the CA$28.5 million, 65,000 sq ft cathedral began in 2010 and it opened on December 18, 2011, on land next to St. Joseph High School.
The building is named for the Holy Family, and its parish and diocesan functions shape its use: it serves as a parish church, diocesan cathedral, banquet hall and community centre, with a library and archive storage on site. The main worship space seats 1,200, and an overflow area raises capacity to 2,000 for large diocesan gatherings.
The cathedral sits next to St. Joseph High School in the University Heights Suburban Centre, on the city's northeast side. The main worship space seats 1,200, with an overflow area raising capacity to 2,000 for large liturgies. The building also houses a library, archive storage, offices and a banquet hall, so parts are in parish and diocesan use rather than open to visitors.
The building uses 1,000 photovoltaic cells embedded in 54 colored glass panels, an innovation that contributes to powering the space. This blend of religious function with solar energy was uncommon in North America when completed.
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