Saint Patrick’s Day at Saint James Cathedral

1982 photo of Saint Patrick’s Day festivities in the Community Life Center at Saint James Cathedral in downtown Orlando.

Fr. Page, Pastor of St. James Cathedral 1972-1986, envisioned a three level community center with an atrium for people to gather and make a community connection. Construction for the Community Life Center began on September 2, 1979 and cost $1.5 million. Completed within a year, the Cathedral Center as it was later named, won the Annual Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects and a Beautification Award from the City of Orlando.

According to Orlando Sentinel columnist Ed Hayes, “The costly Cathedral Center… went under construction in 1979 when downtown Orlando desperately needed a boost, struggling as it was to survive a decade or more of decay and swiftly diminishing business. The center was widely viewed as an act of faith and hope in the area’s future. “

Photo courtesy of the Mario Mesa Photo Archives.