Wayside Cathedral

Founded in 1941 by Bishop Henry Wise Hobson of Southern Ohio, this program provided a “church on wheels” to minister in areas with no Episcopal parish. Its inspiration was a portable office used by Standard Oil. The name “Wayside Cathedral” was suggested by the decision to demolish and not replace the badly dilapidated St. Paul's Cathedral in Cincinnati. Sale of the cathedral property helped to support the new venture. Hobson went to Detroit and had a trailer built which he pulled behind his automobile. Bishop Hobson himself often accompanied the “Wayside Cathedral.” This program emphasized evangelism and spiritual growth, reflecting two particular emphases in his diocese. A correspondence Sunday School was started in connection with the “Wayside Cathedral.” At one time, more than one thousand children were reached by this ministry.