The Christian Cathedral
Mother Church of the Holy Communion of Churches
205 Eastern Avenue · Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way · Springfield, Massachusetts 01109
Senior Pastor: Archbishop Timothy Paul
Welcome Home
The Christian Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Holy Communion of Churches — the spiritual seat of a global communion of provinces, archdioceses, dioceses, and churches. Standing on Eastern Avenue in Springfield\u2019s Old Hill neighborhood since its years as Holy Family Church, the Cathedral has been a house of prayer, a hub of community outreach, and the stage for moments of national historic significance.
Whether you are joining us for Sunday worship, a community program, or simply visiting the home of the communion, all are welcome at the Cathedral.
Join us on FacebookArchbishop Timothy Paul
Senior Pastor & Presiding Archbishop
Shepherd of the Holy Communion of Churches and Senior Pastor of The Christian Cathedral.
Our History
From Holy Family Church to The Christian Cathedral — the story of the Mother Church at 205 Eastern Avenue.
The Holy Family Years
A House of Worship in Old Hill
For generations, the church at 205 Eastern Avenue served Springfield’s Old Hill neighborhood as Holy Family Church, a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Springfield and a cornerstone of faith for immigrant and African-American families alike.
2009
The Doors Close
Holy Family Church held its final Masses and closed its doors, leaving the historic sanctuary quiet for the first time in generations.
December 2015
A New Steward
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield sold the church to the Ecumenical Church — also known as The Christian Cathedral — headed by Archbishop Timothy Paul Baymon, dedicated to both worship and community outreach. The neighboring rectory was sold to Springfield College.
MassLive — Diocese sells Holy Family Church2016
Reborn as The Christian Cathedral
The sanctuary was rededicated as The Christian Cathedral — the Mother Church of the Holy Communion of Churches under Archbishop Timothy Paul. That September, the Cathedral hosted the historic service elevating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to sainthood before Christian leaders from around the world.
June 2019
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way
In a ceremony outside the Cathedral’s doors, Eastern Avenue was declared Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way — an honorary renaming spearheaded by Archbishop Timothy Paul and supported by the City of Springfield.
MassLive — Street renamed in honor of MLKToday
The Mother Church
The Christian Cathedral remains the spiritual seat of the Holy Communion of Churches — home to flagship worship, community outreach, and civic ceremony, and open to all.
The Making of a Saint
In 2016, The Christian Cathedral entered the history books — raising Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to sainthood, and three years later renaming the Cathedral’s own street in his honor.
The Canonization of Saint Martin Luther King Jr.
July 2014
The Nomination
Archbishop Timothy Paul of the Holy Christian Orthodox Church announced that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — the American Baptist minister, civil rights leader, and youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate of his time — had been nominated for sainthood. “Dr. King was Catholic because he inspired the universal church,” the Archbishop said. “He was evangelical because of his Baptist roots, and he was charismatic. The Roman Catholic Church cannot make him a saint because he was not a Roman Catholic. But our church body, which has full apostolic succession, can present him to the entire Christian faith to be venerated on April 4.”
September 9, 2016
The Making of a Saint
Christian leaders from around the world joined national civic leaders at The Christian Cathedral in Springfield for the historic “glorification” ceremony. Conducted by Archbishop Timothy Paul, the service included the traditional unveiling of the saint’s official icon before thousands of worshippers. The next day the Archbishop announced to the world: “Yesterday Martin Luther King became a saint in the Orthodox Church. #stmlk.” The canonization is recorded in the Veneration table of Wikipedia’s article on Dr. King: Canonized September 9, 2016 — The Christian Cathedral, by Timothy Paul Baymon.
April 4
A Day of Veneration
Saint Martin Luther King Jr. is commemorated each April 4 — the date of his assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968, when he was just 39 years old. His feast was also included in the Church’s All Saints Day observance. The Archbishop taught that Dr. King’s life was centered on the Gospel — that it inspired every major decision he made, and that his refusal to turn his back on the Bible even at the cost of his life was proof of his devout and heroic nature.
“People do not remember the leader for his perfections, but for his acts of love… He will not be a saint who people look to alleviate their sufferings — he will stand as an inspiration to them in difficult times.”
— Archbishop Timothy Paul, at the canonization of Saint Martin Luther King Jr.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way — June 28, 2019
On June 28, 2019, residents, clergy from around the country, and city officials gathered outside the Cathedral’s doors as Eastern Avenue — the church’s own street — was declared Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, the first and only street in Springfield named in Dr. King’s honor.
The hour-long ceremony featured readings from Dr. King’s speeches, music, and reflections. Local singer Vanessa Ford led Head Start children and the crowd — holding hands — in “We Shall Overcome.” Ethel Griffin, one of the “mothers of the community,” urged everyone: “Let’s all of us have a dream now about making this way represent Martin Luther King.”
Spearheaded by Archbishop Timothy Paul and supported by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the Old Hill community, the honorary signs now stand at Eastern Avenue’s intersections with King Street, Wilbraham Road, and Hickory Street — what Mayor Sarno called “an avenue of hope and pride.”
The Historical Record
Saint Martin Luther King, Jr: Civil Rights Leader Canonized by Orthodox Church — World Religion News
Archived by the Pluralism Project at Harvard University — coverage of the September 9, 2016 glorification ceremony.
Martin Luther King Jr. made a saint by American church — Premier Christian News
Christian leaders from around the world join the service of elevation at The Christian Cathedral.
Martin Luther King Jr. — Wikipedia, Veneration
The canonical record: Canonized September 9, 2016 — The Christian Cathedral, by Timothy Paul Baymon.
Springfield street renamed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. — MassLive
The 2019 ceremony declaring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way — “an avenue of hope and pride.”
Springfield honors MLK Jr. with street renaming — WWLP 22News
The first and only street in Springfield named in Dr. King’s honor.
Martin Luther King Jr. honored with street name — The Reminder
Community leaders and clergy from around the country gather in front of the Christian Cathedral.
The Cathedral, Then & Now
The sanctuary at 205 Eastern Avenue — from its years as Holy Family Church to The Christian Cathedral today.
Historical photographs courtesy of Canal Days — Holy Family Church, Springfield.
Worship & Events at the Cathedral
Services and gatherings at the Mother Church — open to all.
Cathedral Ministries & Fellowships
The Cathedral\u2019s ministry extends throughout the Holy Communion of Churches.