Christ Church Cathedral (Nashville, Tennessee)


Christ Church Cathedral in Nashville, Tennessee, is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The congregation was founded in 1829 and became the diocesan cathedral, by designation, in 1997.

Music and liturgies

The Cathedral Choir at Christ Church has been recognized by the Nashville Scene for several years running as the "Best Church Music" in Nashville. The 32-piece choir is currently directed by Michael Velting and performs weekly liturgies at the 11:00 services as well as other services throughout the year.
In addition to four Sunday liturgies, the Cathedral maintains a rhythm of daily Morning Prayer and daily celebrations of the Holy Eucharist. Other special liturgies of the Cathedral that happen throughout the year include Choral Evensong, the Feast of St. Francis and blessing of animals, and the Feast of St. Nicholas.

Portrait of Bishop Leonidas Polk

The church includes a portrait of Bishop Leonidas Polk, painted by Cornelius Hankins. Polk's grandson, W. Dudley Gale, who attended Christ Church Cathedral with his parents, donated the portrait and all his inheritance to the church in 1963. In 2017, the Christ Church Cathedral Vestry voted unanimously to donate the portrait to St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Columbia, TN, where it joined a collection of other Polk portraits.