The Cathedral of St. Chad is a stone church building in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It was established in 1992 under
St. Edwin Caudill, founding Bishop of the
Diocese of the Southwest. (See also
here
for more historical information.) The chancel contains furnishings
imported from England, including the altar, altar rail, and bishop’s
throne.
Icon in the United Roman-Ruthenian Church of
St. Edwin Caudill, Apostolic Founder and Confessor
This throne is known within our patrimony as the Historic First Chair
of the Holy Apostolic See, because it was the episcopal seat of St.
Edwin Caudill, whose Diocese of the Southwest formed the earliest
canonical lineage of what is today the United Roman-Ruthenian Church.
The throne of St. Edwin,
the historic First Chair of the Holy Apostolic See. The coat of arms of
St. Edwin's Diocese of the Southwest are visible on the cushion. The
coat of arms now continues as the coat of arms as the Diocese of
Rome-Ruthenia and the Basilica of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome. Copyright URRC 2019.
Original coat of arms of the Diocese of the Southwest,
as seen in the photograph of the throne above.
The arms were maintained as the diocese evolved.
Symbolism of the Coat of Arms jointly of the
Diocese of Rome-Ruthenia
and the Basilica of Santa Maria Antiqua
The
shield, which has always formed part of the greater and middle coats of
arms of the Roman-Ruthenian Pope, was originally that of the Diocese of
the Southwest, which, by the
ecclesiastical concessions granted to it, evolved into the Diocese of
Rome-Ruthenia, inheriting an ancient ecclesiastical patrimony as
Orthodox Latin successor to St. Peter. As the diocese grew, so too did
the symbolism of its arms, which came to be shared by the Patriarchal
Basilica of Santa Maria Antiqua. And yet, since our Lord knows neither
time nor space, it may be said that this symbolism was present from the
beginning, prepared for its sacred destiny.
The
cross, of St. George pattern, is the central and universal Christian
emblem. Within the Roman-Ruthenian tradition it also alludes to St.
Peter the Apostle, whose patrimony the diocese continues. The sun on
the cross is of the unconquered Christ, Light of the world. It also
evokes St. Stephen the Protomartyr, whose face “shone like an angel”
(Acts 6:15).
The
blue field bears both Marian symbolism and is emblematic of St. Andrew
the First-Called, reflecting the Russian and Eastern apostolic heritage
that forms a foundational pillar of the united Roman-Ruthenian identity.
The
star and crescent moon are likewise ancient Marian symbols, as well as
evoke the eschatological imagery of St. Mark’s Gospel (Mark 13). Thus
they signify the passing of the old order, through the obedience of the
Theotokos, and the dawn of the Kingdom of Christ.
Ecclesiastical Succession
Following Bishop Caudill’s tenure, the Diocese of the Southwest was
succeeded by Bishop Wayne Ellis. Although the original diocesan
corporation subsequently became inactive, the ecclesiastical lineage
continued.
In the early 2000s, the diocese moved to the Apostolic Communion of
Anglican Churches, which preserved the seminary, documents, traditions,
and episcopal succession. Former diocesan officials and clergy
recognized this as the continuation of the
Diocese of the Southwest.
The leadership of the diocese in this original line of succession eventually passed to
Pope Radislav I
(then-Bishop Rutherford Johnson). Under his leadership, the Diocese of
the Southwest was eventually elevated first to a Metropolitan See
(Archdiocese of the Southwest) and then to the non-territorial
Patriarchal See of St. Stephen, later developing into the united
Latin-Byzantine patrimony of the
United Roman-Ruthenian Church,
whose principal diocesan See today is the Diocese of Rome-Ruthenia. The
Diocese of Rome-Ruthenia is the unbroken continuation of the original
Diocese of the Southwest, brought into the fullness of Orthodoxy and
Old Catholicism. (
See more about the Roman-Ruthenian papacy.) And, this Diocese and the Metropolitan See of Aquileia form the
Holy Apostolic See of Saints Peter, Andrew, Stephen, and Mark.
LIST OF BISHOPS OF THE SOUTHWEST
H.G. Right Reverend Robert C. Harvey
First Bishop of the Southwest
St. Edwin Caudill
Second Bishop of the Southwest
H.G. Right Reverend Wayne Ellis
Third Bishop of the Southwest
H.Em. Keith Cardinal Steinhurst
Fourth Bishop of the Southwest
H.A.H. Pope Radislav I of Rome-Ruthenia
Fifth Bishop of the Southwest
First Metropolitan Archbishop of the Southwest
First Prince-Bishop of Rome-Ruthenia
The Cathedral Building and Later Ownership
While the ecclesiastical succession of St. Edwin Caudill’s diocese
continued uninterrupted, the physical ownership of the St. Chad’s
Cathedral building passed through several unrelated jurisdictions over
the decades, including the Diocese of the Good Shepherd, the Anglican
Convocation of the Good Shepherd (including Bishop Ebenezer Manuagwu,
who was consecrated at St. Chad's), the Anglican Province of America,
and other independent bodies. These organizations are unaffiliated with
the Diocese of Rome-Ruthenia, successor to the original Diocese of the
Southwest and St. Edwin Caudill. That is, the transitions in property
ownership occurred independently of, and bear no historical, legal, or
ecclesiastical continuity with the lineage preserved in the United
Roman-Ruthenian Church.
General Historical Timeline
1992 (original Diocese of the Southwest era): The
St. Chad Cathedral building was acquired by St. Edwin Caudill, Bishop
of the Southwest, and served as the principal parish and cathedral for
the Diocese of the Southwest and the principle site for the St.
George's School of Theology (later known as St. George Theological
Seminary and Pontifical Georgian College).
Early 2000s: Following
the tenure of Bishop Wayne Ellis, the property passed out of the ADSW
and came under the Diocese of the Good Shepherd, an independent
Anglican body. (Documented in diocesan newsletters and related materials.)
ca. 2010: The building
was used by the Anglican Convocation of the Good Shepherd. Bishop
Ebenezer Manuagwu was consecrated there, confirming active use by that
jurisdiction.
2010s – 2020s: The property became a parish of the Anglican Province of America (APA).
After the departure of the San Antonio clergy from the APA in 2025, the
building again came under an independent Anglican jurisdiction.
Note: All of the organizations
that occupied the property after the original Diocese of the Southwest
are organizationally unaffiliated with the Diocese of the Southwest or
to its canonical successor, the Diocese of Rome-Ruthenia / United
Roman-Ruthenian Church.
These later transitions in property ownership occurred independently of the ecclesiastical succession of St. Edwin Caudill.
Although the cathedral is no longer owned by the juridical successor of
Caudill’s diocese in ecclesiastical succession, it remains in our
history as the historic First Chair associated with the line of bishops
who eventually formed today’s
United Roman-Ruthenian Church, much as St. Peter the Apostle was first Bishop in Antioch before becoming Bishop of Rome.
In 2018, Pope Radislav I (then-Cardinal Johnson) visited the building as a guest of the clergy then serving there.
Pope Radislav I of Rome-Ruthenia (then-Cardinal Johnson) visiting the
Cathedral of St. Chad as a guest of the Rev. Canon Ben Holland, member of the the cathedral clergy.
Current Patriarchal Cathedrals
Today, the principal patriarchal seats of the United Roman-Ruthenian
Church are the
Most Holy Patriarchal Basilica of Santa Maria Antiqua,
Rome, and the Most Holy Patriarchal Basilica of San Stefano al Ponte,
Florence. St. Chad’s remains honored as a historic site in the Church’s
early formation, though it is no longer part of the Church’s present
patrimonial holdings.
