FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Laura García-Culler, Executive Vice President
912.651.2125, or Email

Historical Marker Dedicated for Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Savannah, GA - November 16, 2007. The Georgia Historical Society and the Parish Council, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist invite you to join us on Saturday, November 17, 2007, for the dedication of a historical marker recognizing the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in downtown Savannah. The dedication will follow the Cathedral's noon Mass at approximately 12:30 p.m. and will take place at the site of the church at 222 E. Harris Street, Savannah. The marker will highlight the rich history of the Cathedral's congregation. St. John the Baptist is the oldest Catholic parish in Savannah. The marker's text reads as follows:

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

The congregation of St. John the Baptist formed in the late eighteenth century when French émigrés fleeing revolutions in France and Haiti found refuge in Savannah. The Church of St. John the Baptist became a cathedral in 1850 when the Diocese of Savannah was established with the Right Reverend Francis X. Gartland as its first bishop. The Cathedral was dedicated at this site on April 30, 1876. A fire in 1898 destroyed much of the structure. It was quickly rebuilt and opened again in 1900. Another major restoration took place in 2000. Today it is a place of worship and seat of the diocese that includes ninety counties in southern Georgia.

The Georgia Historical Marker Program is a program of the Georgia Historical Society. Since 1998, GHS has administered Georgia's marker program, erecting over 130 historical markers throughout our state. The marker program tells the stories of Georgia's past in a unique way, accessible to residents and visitors alike.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information please visit www.georgiahistory.com or call us at 912.651.2125.

The Georgia Historical Society, headquartered in Savannah, is the oldest cultural institution in the state and one of the oldest historical organizations in the nation. It is the first and only statewide historical society in Georgia. For nearly 175 years, GHS has collected, preserved, and shared Georgia history through a variety of educational outreach programs, publications, and research services. For more information visit: www.georgiahistory.com.