Mardi Gras at Saint James Cathedral
Caption
Enjoying Mardi Gras in the Saint James Cathedral Community Life Center in downtown Orlando.
Father David Page, St. James Cathedral Pastor from 1972-1986, envisioned a community center at a time when much of the population had left downtown for the suburbs, storefronts were empty and the nation was darkened by a recession.
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 diminshing business. The center was widely viewed as an act of faith and hope in the area's future. " Construction for the Community Life Center began on September 2, 1979. The cost of the building project, $1.5 million, was the most expensive parish project to date for the diocese. Completed within a year, the Cathedral Center as it was later renamed, won the Annual Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects and a Beautification Award from the City of Orlando.
Photo courtesy of the Mario Mesa Photo Archives.