Qualla: Trinity Cathedral (Phoenix, Arizona)

Trinity Cathedral (Phoenix, Arizona): Introduction

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Eric Brimhall, CC BY-SA 3.0. A match in a trash can nearly destroyed a century of faith. On October 10, 2002, flames consumed the north rose window, the organ, and the recently restored redwood ceiling of Trinity Cathedral in downtown Phoenix. But this was not the first time the congregation had faced a crossroads. Four decades earlier, they had considered abandoning their aging sanctuary for the suburbs, as so many Phoenix churches had done. Instead, they chose to stay, to renovate, to install stunning stained glass windows designed by Glidden Parker of Scottsdale. That fire took those windows. It also revealed something remarkable: a community that would rebuild twice rather than retreat once.

Image: Eric Brimhall | CC BY-SA 3.0

Trinity Cathedral (Phoenix, Arizona): Boston Plans in the Desert

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 4.0. The story begins in 1885, when construction of the original Trinity Church was announced at 2nd Avenue and Washington Streets. By 1914, the congregation had outgrown their space and purchased new property on West Roosevelt Street. The architectural firm Shepley, Rutan and Coolidg...

Image: Marine 69-71 | CC BY-SA 4.0

Trinity Cathedral (Phoenix, Arizona): From Missionary Outpost to True Cathedral

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Eric Brimhall, CC BY-SA 3.0. In 1914, Trinity Parish was designated to serve as the pro-cathedral for the Missionary Jurisdiction of Arizona. A pro-cathedral is essentially borrowed space, a parish church temporarily serving as the bishop's seat. Most Episcopal cathedrals in America function this way. But in...

Image: Eric Brimhall | CC BY-SA 3.0

Trinity Cathedral (Phoenix, Arizona): Light Through Glass

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Eric Brimhall, CC BY-SA 3.0. By the 1960s, Trinity Cathedral had fallen into disrepair. The decision to remain downtown rather than follow the population to the suburbs demanded investment. The parish commissioned Glidden Parker of the Glassart Studio in Scottsdale to design stained glass windows, including ...

Image: Eric Brimhall | CC BY-SA 3.0

Trinity Cathedral (Phoenix, Arizona): A Living Arts Center

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Eric Brimhall, Public domain. Today, Trinity Cathedral houses a four-manual, 71-rank pipe organ built by the Schantz Organ Company of Orrville, Ohio, replacing the instrument destroyed in the fire. Arizona State University organ students practice here, their music filling a space designed for worship but open...

Image: Eric Brimhall | Public domain