A History of Bishop McVinney Auditorium

In 1954, Bishop Russell J. McVinney, having been the Bishop of Providence for almost six years decided, with the guidance of the Diocesan Board of Consultors, that much needed renovations were needed on the Cathedral.  At that time the Chancery office, built in 1913-1914 by Bishop Hickey as an addition to the Cathedral Residence was no longer adequate for the needs of the growing Diocese.  The Chancery was very crowded with a number of administrative offices located in the simple annex on Fenner Street.  At that time, a number of other offices pertaining to newly created and enlarged diocesan ministries were scattered throughout the city of Providence.  In an effort to bring the offices together for greater efficiency and organizational purposes, the Diocese began purchasing property on the east or down-city side of the Cathedral in order to secure a site for a new Chancery building.
 
The initial plan was to build a Chancery at the same location as the Cathedral Hall on the corner of Broad and Fenner Streets.  However, at this time the City of Providence was in the process of considering a major reorganizational and developmental plan with the hope that it would revitalize the urban core of the City.  With decreasing property values, between 1946 and 1956, many businessmen were concerned for the future of commerce and industry in the City of Providence.  Therefore, with the assistance of monies from a federal grant and the commission of a new advisory board the city of Providence embarked on a new venture of revitalization.
 
By 1960, Mayor Walter E. Reynolds unveiled a plan for the renewal of the City, which would only see a more detailed completion in 1970 under the direction of the Providence Redevelopment Agency with Joseph Doorley as Mayor.  By 1961, the idea of an expanded square located in front of the Cathedral was included in the redevelopment plans for downtown.
 
The Providence Redevelopment Agency chose to hire a leading American architect, I. M. Pei, head of Pei Associates, to provide a design for the area surrounding the Cathedral. Ieoh Ming Pei, commonly known as I. M. Pei, is a Chinese-born American architect often called the master of modern architecture.  Among the many structures designed by Mr. Pei and his associates is included the Louvre Pyramid, in Paris, France; the Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong, China; the John F. Kennedy Library, Boston, Massachusetts, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio.
 
A new design was sought for the area near the Cathedral that would create a setting worthy of the beautiful brownstone temple in the Capital City which would highlight its magnificent architecture.  Much of the property near the Cathedral had structures that would either be torn down or moved; therefore Mr. Pei was free to envision the square in a unique way.  The initial design presented by his firm had been nearly unprecedented in the United States as it rather resembled the squares of the Cathedral Cities of Europe.  Mr. Pei placed the proposed chancery building on the western side of the Square which sits at the highest point of Weybosett hill and crosses over Westminster Street. 
 
The final proposal for the Diocesan Complex received the approval of the Redevelopment Agency in July of 1966 and was formally announced by Bishop McVinney on the 26^th of the same month.  The new plans included the need for a new Cathedral Hall which would take the place of the old structure located on the corner of Broad and Fenner Streets.  The building had been an old Protestant Church and was initially purchased by Bishop Hickey in September of 1919 to be used as an annex for LaSalle Academy in downtown Providence.  The hall was torn down in favor of a more modern facility as part of the new Chancery Building.  Bishop McVinney adjusted the initial plans for the Cathedral Hall which was intended to be more in keeping with a multi-use facility like its predecessor.  Instead the hall was made with a sloping floor with seating capacity for 730, resembling more an auditorium style construction that included a stage. 
 
At the recommendation of the Diocesan Building Commission, Bishop McVinney engaged the Boston Architectural firm of Miginnis and Walsh and Kennedy which was noted for their innovative designs for churches.  The design for the new Chancery and Cathedral Hall submitted by the firm envisioned a 340-foot, buff-colored, brick and granite building containing 63,000 square feet on three levels.  The Chancery would face the Square and the hall would face Franklin Street (now Dave Gavitt Way).  The cost was estimated to be in excess of two million dollars.
 
Bids for the construction project were sent out in October of 1966 and awarded to the Gilbane Company in December of that same year.  Bishop McVinney broke ground for the new complex on December 16, 1966 before a large crowd of dignitaries.  Mayor Doorley commented that Mr. Pei’s design of Cathedral Square would probably create “the most attractive designed area in the Country.”  Edmund M. Maouro, head of the Providence Redevelopment Agency termed Cathedral Square as the most exciting part of the Weybosett Hill project. 
 
The cornerstone was laid two years later on January 17, 1968 in a ceremony led by Msgr. Daniel Reilly, Chancellor of the diocese and Msgr. William Varsanyi, vice-chancellor.  Bishop McVinney would later dedicate the new diocesan office complex on November 30, 1968 following a concelebrated Pontifical High Mass of thanksgiving in the lower Cathedral, as the Cathedral proper was undergoing a major renovation and restoration.
 
On June 29, 1972, the Apostolic Delegate to the United States, Archbishop Luigi Raimondi came to Providence along with the Archbishops of Boston and Hartford and eighteen other bishops to celebrate the liturgy of rededication for the newly renovated Cathedral and to close the centennial celebration of the Diocese with Bishop Louis E. Gelineau and the clergy.
 
During his remarks at the centennial Mass, Bishop Gelineau extolled the faith and works of Bishop McVinney.  He repeated the praise of his venerable predecessor in the simple ceremony that followed the Mass in which the new Saints Peter & Paul Auditorium, that was part of the Diocesan office complex, was dedicated as the Bishop McVinney Memorial Auditorium.  In the presence of Bishop McVinney’s sister, Mary, and two of his brothers, John and Thomas, Archbishop Raimondi blessed a bronze bust of the late bishop which was the work of Mr. Paul Cavanaugh of Greenville.
 
The McVinney Auditorum served the Diocese of Providence and the local community for many years playing host to many important events.  Most often used by diocesan agencies, for educational and youth events, clergy gatherings, and even pageants, it was also used by the local civic community for graduations and other occasions.
 
In 2003, with growing concerns for modern fire prevention systems, especially in the wake of the Station Night Club tragedy, the auditorium was closed for events as the structure did not meet the necessary requirements by law.  The auditorium remained out of use for almost fifteen years when in the summer of 2013, coincidentally coinciding yet again with the renovation of the Cathedral in light of its 125^th Anniversary, construction was begun on the McVinney Auditorium to provide the much needed fire prevention system and extensive technological upgrades.  The Gilbane Company was hired yet again to oversee the project.  Bishop Thomas J. Tobin was greatly instrumental in seeing that the renovation of the auditorium would remain a lasting legacy for the Diocese by not allowing the facility to remain inoperative.  With the help and guidance of the Diocesan Building Commission, Diocesan Finance Council and the Diocesan Office of Planning and Finance, the building was formally reopened on, Thursday, January 15, 2015.
 
The 750 capacity Auditorium not only boasts a new modern interior design, it also has significant technological upgrades in lighting and sound as well as visual projection.  More accommodations have been made for handicap accessibility as well as a newly renovated lobby.  The auditorium’s unique capacity, being not too large while able to accommodate a significant number of people, affords the possibility of playing host to many diocesan and communal events.  Without a doubt the auditorium not only honors the past memory of Bishop McVinney with his pastoral and administrative leadership, it also stands as a beacon of hope for the future; in that the people of the Diocese of Providence and the community at large may continue to see the Church as a stable presence in the Capital City.